The Lost Girl
by justemby
Summary: Jillian is the one and only Lost Girl, and came after the Darlings left Neverland. But when Hook's newest scheme brings a Darling back to the island, the rules are changed and Jillian will never be the same. On hiatus
1. Chapter 1: For a Girl

**So, this is my first fanfiction… read and see what you think!**

Chapter 1: For a Girl

"Run! Run! They've seen us!"

Laughing, the Lost Boys and I sprinted as fast as we could away from the lagoon, where mermaids squealed with anger at our latest prank. Shaking more and more sand out of their hair, they screamed several threats and warnings and such to our retreating backs. We ignored them all and kept running until we were safe in the forest.

Leaning against a tree, I finally caught my breath. I caught the eye of Nibs, and we both promptly burst out laughing again.

"Oh, gosh, that was great!" The Twins chorused.

"Jillian, you are really good at pranks!" Tootles wiped a tear out of his eyes. "That was hilarious!"

"Oh, don't act so surprised," I joked, which brought more laughter. Even my fairy, Bella, was tinkling with her bell-like laughter.

"I don't know, Tootles, I think she's better than pretty good," mused Curly with a twinkle in his eye. "For a girl!" This brought the boys to their knees with laughter.

"Why, you little-" I launched myself at Curly, laughing all the while as the Lost Boys chanted, "Fight, fight, fight!" I had him pinned to the ground in thirty seconds flat. I saw surprise flicker in his eyes, and I sighed and let him lose.

"You shouldn't be surprised," I told him. "I beat you every single time we fight."

"Yeah, but…" he hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. "It seems so easy for you."

I smirked. "Well, maybe if you worked less on your insults, and more on your muscles, you'd actually be able to defeat me in a fight. Not that your insults are getting any better," she added as an afterthought.

Curly's face turned bright red as the other boys laughed harder. It was his turn to say, "Why, you little-" and lunge at me, fury dancing in his eyes.

A rooster crow sounded above us, saving Curly from pathetic humiliation and saving me from having to deal with him again. We looked up and cried out, "Peter!" as one.

Curly and I quickly glanced at each other. Had Peter seen us fighting?

When Peter landed, he looked directly at Curly and me, and we both snapped.

"He started it!" I yelled, pointing at Curly, at the same time that he pointed at me and yelled, "She started it!"

Peter frowned. "Started what?"

Just as simultaneously, Curly and I exchanged looks, and said "Uh…. Nothing!" nervously.

Peter cocked his eyebrow, obviously confused. "But… what were you two doing?" His eyes lighted up with an idea. "Were you two fighting again?"

"No, no, no!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Are you positive?"

"Yes!"

"Are you lying?"

"Yes! Wait… no, we didn't- that's not- we weren't-" Curly and I were even stuttering in sync. Ugh.

Peter smirked, and began pacing around us. "Now, who's going to tell me what happened? Jillian? Or Curly?"

I glared at Curly. He was _not _going to win. "Curly insulted my gender again," I sniffed.

"But she attacked me!" Curly yelled.

Peter turned to Slightly. "Did Jillian attack Curly?"

"Well… yes," Slightly admitted.

Peter nodded, as if it were a small matter, then added, as if as an afterthought, "And who won?"

Slightly smiled. "Jillian," he was happy to announce. Peter turned slowly back to Curly, his green eyes glinting mischievously. I suppressed a smile. Curly looked nervous. All the others were drooling with anticipation. _Pigs._

"Curly…" Peter said slowly. "Is this true? Did Jillian beat you again?"

Curly hesitated, then caved. "Yes…."

Everyone was silent for a couple seconds, but then of course, Peter being Peter, he burst out laughing. "You really need to work on that!" All the Lost Boys joined him in laughter, and even Curly managed a faint smile at the silliness of the situation.

Peter came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "You really showed him, huh?" he laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. Curly shot me a look behind Peter's back, one that clearly said, _This isn't over. _I rolled my eyes in response. Whatever.

Bella landed on my shoulder, pink with hysterics. _That… that was great!_ The pixie chimed. I smiled.

"I know, right?" I answered.

_Curly's such an idiot_, Bella told me.

"Yeah, I knew that," I smiled, "but thanks for telling me I'm not the only one who knows."

Bella smiled back, literally radiating happiness. I couldn't help but feel happy too. _I love this place,_ I said to myself for about the millionth time. But hey, what's one more?

Suddenly Peter regained seriousness, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. Nibs was the first to notice. "Peter…. What are you thinking?"

"Curly may still have a chance to redeem himself," Peter said, then stated to alk away with no explanation. Curly ran after him, exactly as Peter wanted.

"What do you mean?" Curly asked, confused. Peter smiled. He held his arms out, as if about to hug us all in a grand gesture.

"Boys, we're going to play a little trick on our dear friends, the pirates."

Everyone was silent once again. Was he serious?

"But… how?" asked Tootles.

"What are we going to do?" asked the Twins.

Peter's eyes glinted again, with that _It'll be fun _look. "I have a plan. You guys just follow along."

A chiming came from Peter's tousled red hair, and Tinker Bell popped out and bean scolding Peter. I could tell that Tinker Bell knew Peter didn't really have a plan.

"Oh, relax, Tink! It'll be fine." More chimes, angrier. "No!" Tink exploded into furious bells, but Peter ignored her. "Now," he said, clapping his hands, "who's with me?" The Lost Boys clamored and fought to be over next to Peter, but I was hesitant. Hook didn't know about me yet.

"Peter, I don't think this is such a good idea," I told him.

"Oh, don't be such a girl," Curly told me. I could feel my face turning red with anger. _Don't let him get to you! _Bella chimed_. Just stick to your original plan; it's smarter, and dealing with the pirates…_ I cut Bella off.

"On second thought, let's go kick some pirate butt!"

Whooping, Peter took to the skies. Bella reluctantly gave me some pixie dust, and I was right behind him. The Lost Boys followed on foot.

When the Lost Boys could no longer hear us, I asked Peter, "Do you really have a plan? Or are we just going with it?" Peter only winked in response. I sighed_. Oh well._

Peter did his infamous rooster crow, one that was heard all over the valley and echoed across the mountains and the ocean. The Lost Boys and I answered with our own rooster crow, a warning sound to the pirates so that we could have a fair fight.

"Who are we?" Peter called down to the Lost Boys.

"Lost Boys!" They yelled up to us.

"What do we want?"

"Hook!"

"Let's do this!"

Crowing and cheering, the Lost Boys chased our shadows through the forest to the ship that lay in the sea in front of us. Peter gave one last crow before he dove down to the boys. I followed him. We were all ready for our attack.

"This is going to be fun," Curly smiled wickedly. "I'm ready, Peter."

"I'm ready, Peter!" called Slightly.

"I'm ready, Peter!" repeated Nibs.

"I'm ready, Peter!" yelled Tootles.

"We're ready, Peter!" the Twins cheered as one.

"I'm ready, Peter," I told him.

Peter smiled. "What are we waiting for? Let's go then!"

Swooping and swerving through the brush, we all were hyper on excitement. None of us could wait for the next prank we were going to pull- our biggest yet.

_You better be ready, pirates_, I thought with a smirk. _The Lost Girl is coming for you._

**Okay, review and let me know what you think! Should I have any Peter x Jillian? Curly x Jillian? Your feedback helps me make this a better story. Just press the button! Please?**


	2. Chapter 2: Not a Chance

**Thank you all so far for your amazing feedback! I apologize in advance for all the POV changes in this story. Let me know if it's confusing or annoying to you, and I won't do it in other chapters. Or if it helps. Tell me that too. All questions will be answered either to you or in future chapters.**

Chapter 2: Not a chance

Hook heard the rooster crow. The sound of it sent a shiver down his back, but he shrugged off the dread as if shrugging off a coat. _Idiot boy_, he thought with a gruesome smile. _I'll be ready._

Smee ran as fast as he could, his belly jiggling as he jogged (because he couldn't actually run) up to Hook. "Cap'n. Cap'n. Cap'n," he wheezed as he tried to catch his breath.

"What, what, what?" Hook mocked.

"The…pan…. rooster… flying… prank…." Smee panted.

"Yes, I know Pan is flying here, you blubbering, overweight idiot. I heard his crow. He probably has some clever scheme he's going to try to pull. But we'll be ready." Hook smiled, a rare sight on the Jolly Roger, but considering all of his teeth were yellow, chipped, and uneven, it was not a pleasant one. Smee flinched slightly.

"But- but Cap'n, he's coming towards the ship right now! We just spotted him through our telescopes at Skull Rock!" Smee warned.

"Oh, shut up, you idiot. I have a plan." Hook used his infamous hook to lift up Smee's chin so he could look him in the eyes. "Tell the men to ready the harpoons," he whispered, breathing his disgusting fish breath into Smee's face, making Smee cringe. Hook let Smee go.

"Ye-Yes, Cap'n. Right away, Cap'n." Smee stumbled and fell on his face trying to get away from his deadly captain. Looking up and seeing Hook's annoyed expression, he gulped. "S-s-sorry, Cap'n! R-Right away, Cap'n!" He then half-crawled, half-climbed out of the room, his dignity already pathetically lost.

Hook sighed, and rubbed his hook with his good hand. "Poor form," he murmured, a smile spreading across his face once more. "But that doesn't matter. After this, Peter Pan will not be able to fly away from me any more."

* * *

><p>Bella hovered over the ship, her sharp green eyes surveying the deck. Where to land? She sighed. Whatever the boys were planning to pull, she had a feeling it would not turn out well.<p>

She decided to land in the sails, the one place on the ship that wasn't disgustingly filthy. And as a plus, she could see everything going on below her.

Including…

* * *

><p>"Ready the harpoons! Harpoon the readies! Readoon the harpies! Ready the harpoons!" Smee shouted as he ran crazily around the deck. "Cap'n orders! Ready the harpoons!"<p>

Noodler seemed lost in thought as he watched Smee run around the deck. "What are you doing?" Starkey asked him suspiciously.

Noodler paused, then looked at Starkey. "What is a harpy?"

Starkey growledand slapped Noodler in the back of the head. "He meant ready the harpoons!"

"Oh." Noodler waited, staring at Starkey, as if waiting for him to say something else. Starkey sighed.

"So go ready the harpoons," Starkey urged.

"Oh! Oh!" Noodler jumped and ran over to the harpoons. Starkey sighed again, then went over to help him. What they were readying them for, they had no idea, but they knew it had something to do with Peter Pan.

* * *

><p>"I've got you now, Peter Pan!"<p>

Peter held his stick sword up to my throat. I laughed. "That's what you think, Hook!" I pulled out my own stick dagger and hit his away from my neck. We battled for a few seconds, until he disarmed me and pinned me against a tree. He curled his finger like the hook and stroked my face with it.

"Where can you fly now, Pan?" he growled. "You will never escape from me!" He raised his hand as if to slash me. I merely smiled misheviously.

"Never say never," I said sweetly, and then shot straight up into the air, into the awaiting branches of the tree. I jumped back down at him and slashed him with a new stick I had pulled off the tree. He fell to the ground and laid there as if dead. The Lost Boys cheered as I put my foot on his chest and pumped my fist in the air. "Peter Pan is victorious once again!" I crowed. I looked down at Peter's still face. He opened one eye and winked at me.

I released him from the ground. He stood up and brushed imaginary dirt off of his green leafy clothes. "And that's how it's done, lads!" He informed them with a mischevious smile. "That's exactly how we're going to do it! Hook won't stand a chance!"

Curly sniffed, cleary jealous that I was Peter's favorite. He backed it up by saying, "But you're going to do it, not Jillian, right? Hook would beat Jillian silly, just like the silly girl she is." His eyes shot daggers at mine, and I threw them right back. I flew up, did a somersault and landed behind him. He didn't even have time to turn around before I twisted his arms behind his back.

"Silly girl, huh?" I chuckled in his ear before pushing him away. He stumbled, and Nibs caught him. We all laughed as his face turned the color of a rose, but he said no more.

Peter smiled. "See? If we all had Jillian's spirit, then we would have everything! But what we want now, Lost Boys, is Hook." He had everyone hanging on his every word. Even me, I must admit.

"We need to trick the pirates so they don't even know what's coming." Whispers sounded between us as everyone muttered some version of 'yes'.

"We need to catch Hook off guard, so we can expose him as the codfish he is." The yeses were louder this time, more in unision.

"We are going to wish Hook had never chosen Peter Pan as an enemy!" We all yelled 'yeah' at the same time to Peter.

"Are you with me?"

"Yeah!" We all shouted.

Peter's green eyes twinkled mischeviously. "Well, let's go then."

Whooping, we ran down to Skull Rock, where our rowboat waited in the murks of the caves. Peter and Slightly lead the group, with me, Curly, Nibs, and the Twins not far behind. Peter had us hyped up- now all we needed to do was get to the ship.

_Hook will have no idea what's coming, _I thought arrogantly.

Little did I know, but I was very wrong.

* * *

><p>Tink flew up to where Bella was sitting in the sails. <em>News from Peter?<em> Bella asked urgently. Tink shook her head.

_He's getting them all excited to fight Hook,_ Tink informed her. _It's not a prank anymore, it's a full-out fight. They all know the danger-_

_But they just don't care_, Bella finished for her with a sigh. _Peter has that effect on people_.

Tink turned slightly pink. _Are you implying something?_ she asked cooly.

_No, no!_ Bella rushed. _Jillian has that too! She's probably right alongside Peter, encouraging them._

Tink's color faded to her normal tone. _She was._

Bella sighed once more, and shook her head. She glanced down at the deck, and saw the harpoons. She gulped. _They have no idea what they're in for._

* * *

><p>Cecco stood with one foot on the figurehead of the ship, looking through the telescope towards the small boat coming towards them. Hook told him to watch for Peter in the sky, but wouldn't he be suprised that Peter was coming by boat!<p>

He increased the power on the telescope enough to see the figures on the boat. Peter was at the front, the late afternoon sun making the illusion of his red hair on fire. He stood with an arrogant pose, his hands on his hips and one foot on the front of the boat, kind of similar to Cecco's own pose, but he brushed off the thought.

Cecco prided himself in being the only pirate that knew all the Lost Boys names, because it made it so much easier to keep track of them. He looked behind Peter to see the rest of the boat. Slightly and Nibs sat in the first seat, both with paddles and rowing. The Twins sat in the very back, also rowing. But what was in the middle... Cecco focused his telescope more, thinking he was seeing things, but he knew in his gut it was real.

Curly sat in the middle, seemingly arguing with the person sitting next to him. They both held their paddles as if they were ready to have a duel to the death. Cecco had never seen them before. Their curly brown hair was long and wild, but not in a bad way. They seemed to have a different air than the boys around them...

He closed the telescope and smiled. Hook would be happy when he heard the news.

Peter did not stand a chance.

* * *

><p>Hook was not happy. Not happy at all.<p>

First, the blubbering Smee had come in and told him something he already knew, which made him question the competence of his crew. Second, Noodler had heard Smee say something about not firing the harpoons, which of course made him fire the harpoons, further proving imcompetence. They had once harpoon left; once chance to bring down Pan. It wasn't enough! But now, Cecco was five minutes late with his report on Pan's whereabouts.

Hook wasn't just not happy- he was furious.

So when Cecco spepped into his cabin, he yelled, "You incompetent moron! Where have you been? I should have known you were an idiot before I sent you out to spy on Pan. You probably have no news to report, you blundering fool!" He stabbed his hook into his desk, imbedding it with an angry twist.

Cecco frowned. He hated talking to the captain when he was like this, but he had no choice. "Well, captain, I have good news and bad news."

Hook sighed. "Bad news first."

"Well, it depends on how you look at it, but they're coming by boat."

The pirate captain lifted his head. That wasn't bad at all- that was even better for the plan! But Cecco wasn't done with the report... "And the good news?" he asked.

Cecco smiled again. "The good news is they have a new Lost Boy."

"How is that good news?" Hook almost yelled.

"That Lost Boy," Cecco said slowly, building suspense, "is a girl."

Hook relaxed suddenly, as frightening a sight as when he was angry. He pulled his hook out of the desk and started rubbing it with one hand. "Ah," he cooed, "That is good news."

* * *

><p>When our small little rowboat pulled up alongside the<em> Jolly Roger, <em>Nibs was the first to notice what was wrong.

"It's... quiet," he whispered.

We all tilted our heads and listened to the sound of- nothing. No noise came from the ship's deck at all.

"Too quiet," Curly agreed.

"Stay here," Peter whispered, and as silent as a shadow, he floated up from the boat and onto the deck. We couldn't see him, only slightly hear his muffled footsteps. _Wait... footsteps?_ I wondered. Then I knew.

I shot up out of the boat to the pirate ship. Sure enough, Peter was flying _above_ the deck, looking around. "Peter, did you hear the footsteps?" I asked him in a shushed tone.

He turned towards me, his green eyes suddenly worried. "I thought I told you to stay-"

"Yes, I know, but I heard footsteps!"

"Well, I didn't hear anything."

"They're here."

"Don't be silly, there's no one h-"

Peter's voice was cut off by a sudden, "Fire the harpoon!" A cold metal object with a rope attached to it flew inches past me and towards Peter. He dodged, but barely. It caught him by the sleeve of his shirt and pinned him to the mast.

"Peter!" I cried, and tried to fly over to help him, but something wrapped around my leg, preventing me from going anywhere. I looked down and saw a pirate hanging onto my foot. He smiled greasily at me. I bared my teeth and kicked him with my free leg in the face. He howled, losing his grip on me, and I shot over to Peter once more.

He was about a quarter of the way up the mast, but the pirates were climbing up to him. The harpoon had him held fast, imbedded into the wood, and I saw red beginning to stain the gren fabric of his shirt. Tinker Bell and Bella were already there, slowing the pirates down, but not enough. They were gaining on the spot where Peter was dangling.

"Hang on, Peter!" I yelled. His eyes met mine, and I knew he wasn't giving up any time soon.

I flew over to him and tried to pull it out of the mast to no avail. I then tried to rip Peter's shirt to get him off, but it hurt him too much- it was in his skin as well. I tried to cut the metal with my dagger, I tried to cut around it, I even tried to pry it out of the wood, but nothing worked and we were running out of time.

A sharp stinging pain buried itself in my foot, and I cried out in suprise. "Jillian!" Peter cried, but it was too late. The object in my foot dragged me down to the floor quickly, as if it were a person. I looked down to see, and sadly, it was.

He had long, greasy black locks of hair that cascaded over his shoulders, longer than my own. Using a rope, he slid down with the hook attached to his hand in my foot.

Hook.

Peter had told me about him, but I hadn't thought he would be this fearsome. Just looking at the hatred in his cold blue eyes forced me to face the reality of the situation- he wasn't going down without a fight. But neither was I.

When we reached the ground, he pulled me down to reach his eye level. "So you're the little girl pretending to be a Lost Boy," he said, fake kindness dripping from his every word.

"Not pretending," I corrected. "I'm a Lost Girl. And I'm," I punched him in the chest, "not," I grabbed his free hand and pushed it away, "little!" I kicked with my free foot towards his stomach, but he caught it and pushed me to the ground. I landed hard, and bit my lip to keep from screaming. I would NOT let him win.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Lost Boys each fighting their own pirate, except for Curly. Wait... I turned my head a little more. Where was Curly?

Hook took advantage of my distraction and put his long sword to my throat. Waves of pain were still shooting from my foot, but I forced myself to meet his eyes. "We're going to kill him," he said cooly. "And then we're going to kill them." He nodded his head towards the battling Lost Boys. His eyes bored into mine. "We're not going to kill you until the very end. You are going to watch every single one of them die." He leaned in closer to me. His disgusting breath beat against my face, and I felt my heart race. He continued talking, and I reached in my belt for my dagger.

He smiled. "You won't even have a chance to say goodbye to him. We'll kill him first. You'll never be able to see him again. How sad." He laughed.

"Never say never," I said sweetly.

Then I lunged.

**Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I had to do it! It just makes the story more interesting. Or maybe that's just me...  
><strong>**Again, sorry for all the POV changes. But it made sense to me to do it like that.  
>Critique? Comments? Feedback? That little button is crying for attention!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Ready

**Okay, so I decided on a little bit of Jillian x Peter, but its not serious and not in this chapter. Also, sorry about the cliffhanger, but at least I'm bringing in a new chapter quickly, right?**

* * *

><p><span>"Never say never," I said sweetly. <span>

Then I lunged.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Ready<p>

My dagger drove into the flesh of his arm, forcing him to take his hook out of my foot. He recoiled and slashed at me with his own sword. The metal met with a loud CLANG! that vibrated my arms. I had had play fights with the boys before, but we hadn't been meaning to hurt each other. Just seeing the murderous glare in Hook's eyes let me know that this was no game.

Our weapons met once more, and this time he stumbled back at the force of the blow. Drops of blood oozed from the spot where I had stabbed him, but he didn't seem to care. All he cared about was catching me again- and killing me.

The fight became more intense, more skilled. I had better techniques than him, but he was stronger. Brain against brawn. Clang, clang, clang, the dagger and sword meeting again and again. He swiped at me with his hook and missed. He faltered, and I slashed his hook arm again, rendering it lame. The blood trickling was now a steady flow. I backed awy from him as he was tending to his arm, and rushed over to the mast before he could catch me again.

But what I saw made me stop in my tracks.

Peter leaned against the mast, trying to fight unconsciousness while holding his hurt arm. The whole area that the harpoon had stabbed was bright red. Curly fought the three pirates trying to get at Peter. One of the pirates was spinning around in circles swiping the air, and I knew Tink and Bella had him. The Lost Boys were still each fighting their own pirate, and the pirates were losing pathetically. Tootles pirate was on the ground being kicked rapidly in the stomach, and I knew Tootles had been insulted by him, but he wouldn't let up. The one Nibs was fighting was swinging blindly, as Nibs had poked him in the eye with a stick. The Twins had one pirate to share, and one Twin was on his shoulders hitting him on the head while the other kicked him in the shin. Slightly's pirate, after a viscious hit to the head, was down and out. He began to run to Curly, and I followed suit.

Curly's arm was bleeding, but he still held his ground. Slightly and I each took a pirate he was fighting, and it was even again, but not to Curly.

"What are you guys doing?" he grunted as he swang his own dagger. "I can take them!"

"Yeah, right!" I yelled over the swords.

"It's okay," Slightly was saying to no one. "It's okay. It's okay."

The Twins and Nibs came over, having sucessfully defeated their pirates. Nibs joined in our fight as a new pirate rushed up. "Stop the bleeding," I told the Twins. They nodded and rushed over to Peter, who was almost passed out, but visibly fighting his own internal battle.

Slightly and Curly's pirates went down, but mine was pressing harder against me. My dagger was knocked out of my hand and he thrust his sword toward me. I tried to back up, but tripped over a fallen pirate and landed on my butt on the deck. He raised his sword for the final blow, but his sword was held back by a hook.

The Lost Boys froze, the pirates glanced, confused, and I closed my eyes. "We need this one alive," a farmiliar and dreaded voice informed him. "But you're free to kill P-"

His voice was cut off by a _tick, tick, tick_ing coming from the boat. I opened one eye and saw Hook stiff with fear. All was silent, watching Hook's reaction. It was actually kind of entertaining. His cold blue eyes grew wide with fear, and his face turned red. I was struck with the reazation that he resembled a codfish. "The croc," he whispered, then he became shrieking at the top of his lungs, "RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

The pirates ran in a frenzy to the captain's cabin, right behind Hook himself. When the last pirate was inside, the door shut with a BANG!, leaving the rest of us speechless.

Well, almost all of us.

"Yeah, that's right! You run away, you-" Tootles started, but Curly covered his mouth before profanities were exploited visciously.

"Always knew... he was a codfish..." Peter muttered. We glanced at each other, then went over to help him.

"Do you mean coward?" Nibs asked.

"Nope. Codfish," Peter smiled. "Why else would the crocodile want to eat him?"

We all laughed, loosening up a little bit. Bella landed on my shoulder, and Tink landed on Peter's. Tink chimed something, and Peter shook his head, grimacing. Tink looked worried. She chimed something else. Peter translated.

"She's going to let you all fly me to the boat, and then we'll cast off the codfish boat," he joked lamely. I laughed nervously.

One by one, Tink and Bella sprinkled us with fairy dust. We rose into the air, carrying Peter as one, but even with all of us he was heavy. We managed to get him off of the boat into our little rowboat. The Twins tended to him as the rest of us rowed in silence.

_That was too close a call,_ Bella chimed. I nodded silently.

_Hook wants you now,_ she informed me. _You do know that, right?_ I sighed and nodded again.

"But he's going to have to fight to get me," I muttered, glancing towards the boat. "Next time I'll be ready."

* * *

><p>Hook shivered in the corner of his cabin. Cecco crawled slowly over to him. "Cap'n? Are... are you alright?"<p>

"I'm fine," he snapped. "But I need a way to get that girl."

"I may have an idea, sir," Smee piped up. "And it just might work."

"A maybe is all we need because it's still a possibility," muttered Hook. "Tell me."

Smee gulped. "W-well last time we captured Pan, we did it using a Darling."

Hook rolled his eyes. "I know that, idiot. But Wendy is all grown up now, and I want the girl more right now!"

"If we figured out how to catch Pan with a Darling last time, we might be able to do the same to the girl," Smee explained nervously.

Realization came over Hook's face. "Smee, that may be the most intellegent thing you've said all day," He congradulated. "Men, set the course for England. We're going to catch ourselves a Darling. Then, next time," he chuckled, "we'll be ready."

**This chapter was pretty much just a rap up to chapter 2, so its a bit shorter, but stay tuned for chapter 4! *SPOILER ALERT* A new character will be introduced!  
><strong>**The review button needs attention... its a very selfish button... but review please!**


	4. Chapter 4: Unexpected but Expected

**Warning: This is in a completly different place than before. Everything will be explained, but for now, just hold tight, I'm just warning you!  
><strong>**I haven't put in a disclaimer yet, so I will now. Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Peter Pan. I only own this situations, Nick, Jillian, and a monkey. Actually, I don't own a monkey, but I wish I did.  
><strong>**Also, thanks to all the people who have read and reviewed, I love you guys, and a special shoutout to ShadedEclipse, who has reviewed every chapter so far and been with me the whole time! (Not that this story has been up that long, but its a nice thought...)**

Chapter 4: Unexpected but Expected

I leaned out of my cousin's window in London, feeling the brisk winter air bite my face. I sighed._ I love London. I wish I could live here, _I thought. _Can't see a view like this from Portland. _

I folded my arms on the windowsill and stared out into the night. There was the city, light flashing brilliantly, Big Ben, its huge clock face glowing from the moonlight, and finally, the star that shone through the dark and seemed to illuminate more that its tiny little patch of night.

I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, and turned around to see Aunt Wendy. "Nick, what are you doing up this late? It's past midnight," she told me. Man, I wish I had a British accent.

"I know," I said, gesturing to the giant clock in front of me. "I can see that."

She laughed. "No, really. What are you doing awake at this hour?"

"Couldn't sleep," I admitted. "I keep thinking of that story you told me last night. The one about Peter Pan."

She smiled. "I don't blame you. He was a captivating boy, always striving to be the best. That's probably why the story captured your interest- you and Peter have much in common," she said, ruffling my shaggy blond hair. I look more like her, even though my dad, John, is her brother. While he has dark hair and green eyes, Aunt Wendy and I have similar blond hair and blue eyes. My mom, Lucy, passed away when I was five. I was told she had blond hair and green eyes, although the only pictures we have are black and white.

"How so?" I asked, sitting up, ready for a story. I may be 14, but I love stories.

"Oh, he was always goofing off, trying to impress me, much as you do for your cousin," she told me.

"It's not that hard to impress Jane," I said. "She is only 3."

"Yes, but still," she laughed, her blue eyes twinkling. "You're a lot like him in other ways, too. You love to play pretend, you have a huge imagination, you're playful-"

"And I don't want to grow up, either!"

She cocked her head, confused. "Why not?"

"Because being an adult takes too much responsibility. 'I want to always be a little boy and to have fun'," I quoted. Her smile turned sad.

"Yes, but what about all the people you'd leave behind? You'd be stuck in 8th grade forever. Everyone would outgrow you and leave you alone."

I was silent for a few seconds, then whispered, "I didn't think about it like that."

She ruffled my hair. "It's alright. That's why I couldn't stay in Neverland. There's so much more living to do, but Peter thinks-"

"'To die would be my greatest adventure,'" We said together.

Another figure appeared in the doorway. Dad. "Wendy, why is Nick still awake?"

"I couldn't sleep," I amswered for her.

Dad glared at me with a tired expression. "I asked your aunt."

"I was telling him about Peter Pan," she admitted. My dad tensed.

"Nick, go to bed, I need to talk with your aunt," he ordered me.

I got into bed reluctantly. " 'Night, Aunt Wendy."

"Goodnight, Nicholas," she answered, then with a creak and a muffled click, the door was closed and they were gone, but I knew they weren't really. I snuck out of bed and pressed my ear against the door. Whatever they were saying, I could tell it was about me.

"...Can't keep babying him," my father's gruff, low voice was saying. "Peter was our childhood hero, but he was just a story. You can't keep filling his head with stories!"

"You know Peter was not just a story! Nick's 14, he should know the truth." Wendy's voice seemed calm and controlled, but I knew she was mad.

"So, start telling him the truth!"

"You're saying Tiger Lily was a lie, John?"

I could almost hear my dad stiffen at the Indian Princess's name. _What's his problem with Tiger Lily?_ I wondered to myself. "Neverland... is not real," I heard my dad say, but knew his heart wasn't in it.

My aunt relaxed. "You know what, I won't tell Nick any more stories about Peter, or Neverland. But don't tell him you think it's a lie, either. He deserves to have a chance to think about Neverland. Who knows, he might even end up there soon."

Dad sighed. "You're right. But you had better not say anymore about... _him_."

"I won't," she promised.

I turned around and fell back on my bed. My mind was swimming with scattered thoughts, but the one that kept reoccurring was: _Is Neverland actually real?_

I shook my head._ I must just be tired._ I said goodnight to Ben, then closed the window, laid down and fell into a deep sleep.

I didn't even notice when the light from the moon was blocked by a huge looming shadow...

* * *

><p>"Full steam ahead!" Hook yelled. "We're nearing the house!"<p>

Smee tottered over to where his captain was standing. "Cap'n, shouldn't we be slowing down if we are nearing the house?"

Hook glared, his ice blue eyes cutting into Smee like daggers. "I know what I'm doing," he snapped. "Slow down!" He ordered the crew. The massive sailboat pulled up alongside the Darling house at just the right window. Now for the taking...

* * *

><p>I was awoken by a clicking sound coming from the window. Was someone trying to get in? I checked the time- three twenty in the morning. Who would be trying to get into the house at this hour? <em>Burglars,<em> I thought wildly. _Thieves. Murderers. Should I tell Aunt Wendy and Dad? Or beat them myself?_

The answer was easy. I opened my mouth to call out, but was silenced by the window slowly creaking open...

With no one on the other side.

I slowly inched over to the open window, which in the dark looked like a hole waiting to swallow me. I gulped. Leaned over. Stuck my head out the window and saw...

Nothing. There was no one standing on the ledge. _Maybe I only imagined it..._ I thought wearily. Yawning, I turned to collapse back into bed, but before I got the chance, a hand that smelled distictly of fish clamped over my mouth. A low, threatening voice hissed something in my ear, but because my mind was in hyperdrive, it took a couple seconds to process. When I finaly understood the criptic warning, I froze.

Don't struggle, and you won't get hurt.

My attacker looped one arm around my waist and hoisted me over his shoulder. I was too dumbstruck to do anything in my defense until he pulled me out of my window, up a rope and onto a wooden floor of some sort. He threw me brutally on the ground and I winced, sure I felt my ribs crack. I sprang up when he leaned over me and jabbed him in the eye while simultaneosly kicking him in the unmentionables. He cried out in pain and hunched over, but before I got a chance to strike again I felt a cold metalic point at the small of my back.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a smooth voice asked in a rhetorical manner. The voice sent shivers down my spine, and I automatically knew the owner was authorative and cruel. "He's a fighter," the voice went on. "We'll have use for him."

The point pushed me to the ground, where a black boot rolled me over onto my back. Keeping the sword at my neck, the owner laughed while I stared in horror at him, the man above me.

His jet-black curls cascaded over his shoulders in direct contrast to his icy blue eyes. He wore a large red hat with a feather, and a blood-red coat that matched his murderous look. He was thin, but built, and instead of a hand on his left wrist he had a hook. My eyes widened at the sight of the curled iron on his arm. I knew who this was. Aunt Wendy had told me about him. But no, no, he was just a story, this was all a dream...

"Ready the ship for take off," the man who seemed to be Cpatain James Hook commanded. He leaned in close to me. "And you, my dear boy, what might be your name?"

"N-N-Nick Darling," I stuttered, still not quick believing what I was seeing. "You're..."

"Captain James Hook, at your service," he smiled slimily. "Pleased to meet you." He squinted at me. "Are you Wendy's child? You don't sound British."

I shook my head. "John Darling is my father," I told him. "I live in America."

"Ah. But you do bear a striking resemblance to your aunt..." he removed the sword tip from my throat. "That'll work wonderfully, wonderfully indeed."

I was shaking with nervousness. "If I may ask, sir, where are you taking me?"

"Why, Neverland, of course!" He laughed. "You are to be my cabin boy. Cast off!" He told the crew. The- ship?- began moving, lifting off the roof.

"Do I have any say in this?" I asked him boldly.

"Oh, of course," he said, his freezing blue eyes twinkling, "but if you want to survive, I'd take the job."

My eyes widened. He was going to kill me? I shook my head.

"No? You want the job?" I nodded quickly.

"Excellent."

Hook helped me off the deck (thankfully, with his normal hand) and I got the chance to look at my surroundings. It was a large, well-made ship that was flying. Flying. I sighed. _I guess I'm going to have to get used to this_, I thought, laughing to myself a little.

We were now a little ways away from the house, and I saw my dad, Wendy, and Jane standing at my window, staring at the _Jolly Roger_. My dad was crying rare tears. _Don't cry,_ I tried to urge him with my mind. _I'll be fine_. Jane looked delighted, and she was pulling on her mother's sleeve, saying something like, Mommy, mommy, look, Nicky's flying! Meanwhile, Wendy, ignoring Jane, had a sad expression on her face, but her eyes were bright, as if to say,_ Go find your own adventure._

I watched them until they were too small to see. As we passed London's monumental clock, I turned to it and smiled weakly.

"Wish me luck, Ben," I muttered, then walked over to where Captain Hook was standing, watching London.

Walked over to my new life.

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	5. Chapter 5: Caught in Thought

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>This chapter's a bit shorter, but hopefully its just as good... :)<strong>

Chapter 5: Caught in Thought

_Jillian's POV_

I stood outside of the Treehouse, the wind blowing my hair back. I watched the sunset nervously. Peter had lost a lot of blood, but it looked like he was going to be okay. He's definitely going to be cranky while he's stuck inside, though, I thought bitterly. The last thing I needed now was an angry Peter.

The sun dissapeared behind the trees, leaving the sky with a pretty red tint. But I couldn't focus on the peaceful scene. I was too busy thinking about the fight with Hook. _We're going to kill him first,_ he had said._ Then we're going to kill them. We're not going to kill you until the very end. You're going to watch every single one of them die._

I shivered, despite the warm night. For some reason, I knew that that was not going to be the case the next time we met.

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

"Land Ho!"

I startled awake and hit my head on the bunk above me. I winced and bit my lip in pain. Pressing a hand to my throbbing head, I closed my eyes. I had the strangest dream last night. I was on a ship with Captain Hook, going to Neverland, and he had told me that I was his new cabin boy...

_Wait a second,_ I thought. _Bunk?_

I opened my eyes to see that where I was, was _not_ Jane's room.

I was in a wooden room that seemed to be swaying, in a gritty bottom bunk bed with no covers or sheets. I appeared to be wearing a torn (and not very clean) pair of leggings/pants/whatever it was and a shirt that fit well. Looking around, I saw that my room had no windows and one door. Standing up slowly so as not tohit my head again, I stared at the door. If this was a dream, maybe I could walk right through it...

I walked up to the door, braced myself, and rammed into it with my shoulder. Pain immediately shot down my arm and I winced. _Note to self: don't try to walk through doors_, I thought bitterly. Shaking my head a bit, I turned the handle with my good hand, and stepped out onto the deck of a pirate ship.

I stood in wonder for a couple seconds, then looked around myself. _This is a pretty well detailed dream. _The ship was large, with all the riggings and sails that I knew from my friend's sailboat and a couple I didn't recognize. I could see the outlines of a beautiful island to the right- sorry, _starboard._ The ship was filthy, but the men didn't seem to mind. There was a large-bellied man shouting incoherent orders at the rest of the crew, along with a man with stringy hair, a man with matching cuts on his cheeks, and a man with his hands sewn on backwards. I recognized the man with the messed up hands- Bill Jukes. I shivered. This was not a dream; even I wouldn't want to dream up a nightmare like this.

A metal band settled on my shoulder. I turned to see the horrific man from last night, no less terrifying in the daylight. He smiled. "Enjoying yourself, Nicholas?" I could only nod. I had been so caught up in my thoughts I hadn't even seen him approach.

"Excellent! Because your first job as a cabin boy starts now." His icy eyes made me shiver.

"If it's all the same to you, sir," I told him cautiously, "I'd like to go home, not be your cabin boy."

He tensed, setting his jaw on edge. I froze, hoping I didn't get him mad. The last thing I needed was this guy as an enemy. But he relaxed after a couple seconds, forging friendliness.

"Of course," he said cooly, "but there's just one thing I need you to do. One teeny, tiny little thing." As he said _teeny, tiny_ he took his hook off my shoulder and waved it in the air, like it was no big deal.

I thought about it. "If I do it, will you take me home?"

"Well, of course!" He said. I straightened.

"What is it?"

Hook smiled again. I really wished he'd stop doing that. "Oh, it's nothing, really, I just need you to catch me a girl."

I tilted my head. "A...girl? You... want me... to catch you... a girl," I repeated slowly.

"Did I stutter?" He asked. "Yes, a girl, around your age, hangs out with Peter Pan. I need her alive. Can you bring her to me?"

"Well, I...I guess."

"Excellent!" He said again. "We'll head to the island immediately." He began to walk away, then turned, as if remembering something. "Oh, and if you bring me Pan as well, I'll never bother your family again as long as you live. And a captain never breaks his promises." Then he was gone.

I stood still for a few minutes, then sighed. I walked to starboard and leaned over the side of the ship. _He wants me to bring him a girl_, I thought. _That's not weird at all._

I sighed once more, then walked away to get ready to go back onto land, leaving my thoughts over the side of the pirate ship.

**Comments? Critiques? Feedback?  
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	6. Chapter 6: Meeting

**So, I'm going to skip all the mushy author's stuff and get straight to the story. Enjoy :D**

Chapter 6: Meeting

_Jillian's POV_

"But I want a pineapple!"

I sighed and ducked as the banana I had just attempted to give Peter was thrown at my head. "Look, Peter," I said, trying not to lose my patience, "Pineapples grow on the other side of the island. We can't get you pineapples."

"BUT I WANT ONE!" He screamed. "I WANT A PINEAPPLE!" He was acting like he was 4, not 14!

"FINE! Fine," I told him, finally losing it. "I'll go get you a pineapple."

I jumped out the door and flew away, unable to take his whining anymore. _Ugh,_ I thought._ Why can't he act his own age?_

_Because he always wants to be a little boy and to have fun,_ I answered my own question bitterly.

I sighed. Sometimes I wished I had other friends- and then I realize that the only other people on the island are the Indians (who hate me) the pirates (ditto) the mermaids (same) and the animals (who don't hate me, but constantly want to kill me). Sometimes I wished that there was another person, one my age, one that was different...

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV <em>

_Now if I were a girl, on an island, living with a bunch of little boys, who was wanted by pirates, where would I be?_ I asked myself, chuckling a bit. This was ridiculous. Any second I would wake up in my room, in my bed, NOT in a crazy faraway place.

Shaking my head, I continued on. _Maybe she'll come to me,_ I thought, imagining different scenes in my head. I chuckled once more.

_Yeah, right._

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

I surveyed the ground below me, searching for a pineapple tree. _I can't believe I'm doing this_, I sighed. _Peter's such a-_

_Wait. What's that?_

A shock of yellow stood out among the green foliage. Almost blonde, it was moving through the trees at a laid-back pace. My lip curled in a sneer. There was only two people on the island who had that color hair- Slightly, who was back at the Treehouse with Peter, and the pirate who had lunged at me on the pirate ship.

Yup. Pirate.

I quickly dove down to the trees and unsheathed my dagger in midair, ready for a fight.

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

As I was walking, thinking of the ridiculousness of the situation, I was pushed down to the ground by something from above me. I quickly turned, but by the time I was belly-up the thing had me pinned and was holding a dagger, staring me down with its fierce brown eyes.

_Wait- brown eyes?_

I focused on the bigger picture. It had curly brown hair that framed its face, and eyes that complemented it nicely. It was a girl. But before I regestered that this was a girl, the one that Hook had probably sent me out to catch, she shoved the dagger against my throat. I felt a trickle of blood. This was not someone to mess with.

"Who are you?" the wild girl demanded. "You're not a pirate."

"No," I choked out.

"Don't talk!" she ordered. I rolled my eyes. First she asks me a question, then she tells me not to talk... I caught her by suprise by knocking the dagger away with one hand and kicking her in the stomach. She lost her breath, and I took advantage of that. I jumped up and pinned her to the ground, forcing her into the same position she had just had me. Her eyes widened as she looked at the dagger. Looking at it as well made me realize I'm _not_ a pirate. I threw it aside.

She stared at me in wonder. "Who are you?" she repeated, but with a different tone- this one breathier, filled with shock. Someone had bested her? Impossible! But this strange, unfamiliar boy had... I chuckled silently.

"Nick Darling," I told her, extending a hand. "Pleased to meet you."

She looked at my hand in disgust and fear, and I retracted it. "But... what are you? Pirate, Indian, you're obviously not a mermaid," she concluded.

"No, not a mermaid," I laughed. "I'm just Nick."

"Well, Just Nick, would you mind getting off of me now?" Her tone was cold, but her brown eyes were twinkling. I stood up and offered my hand again, but she ignored it, standing up by herself and brushing herself off. She was a little shorter than me, maybe two inches, three at the most. She was really cute, too...

"Sorry about attacking you," she went on. "I thought you were a pirate. Nasty buggers."

"Yeah, no kidding," I muttered, but she didn't hear me.

"They're out to get me, you know. Hook's got it in for me. But next time, next time, I'll be ready for whatever he throws at me!"

My stomach twisted. I had known all along, I suppose, that this was the girl Hook had wanted me to get, but I didn't want to face the fact. Even just from the first minute with her, I could tell she was a wonderful person to be around, funny, witty, tough, and pretty... I shook my head mentally. It didn't matter. She was just someone I had to catch to get home.

"What's your name?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Jillian," she said simply.

"Any last name?" I asked.

"Nope. Just Jillian."

I smiled. "Well, Just Jillian," I teased, "would you like to go on a walk with me? I was just looking around."

"Sure," she said, trying to hide the fact that her eyes had lit up. "I have to get some pineapples from the other side of the island anyway."

"Well, lets go then," I said. "We've got a lot to talk about, don't we?"

"Yes, I think we do," she answered.

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

Nick told me that he was taken here by Hook, but escaped from the boat this morning and set out to find the Lost Boys and Peter, so that he could go back home. Something was off about his story, something that bugged me in the back of my mind, but I ignored the little nagging voice that said it was wrong. He was super nice and funny, a lot kinder and more respectful than Peter had ever been. I felt myself getting lost in his sky blue eyes...

But I had to focus. He was talking again, saying something about a fairy...

"...have a fairy?"

"Huh?" I asked. "Sorry, I got distracted. What did you say?"

"I asked you, if Peter Pan has a fairy, do you?"

I nodded. "Her name is Bella," I told him. "But I'm the only one of the Lost Boys who has one."

"Huh," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said. "That's just kind of odd, I guess. So how do you get a fairy?" He was teasing me again, but I didn't mind.

"She just came to me. I didn't 'get' her. She told me her name was Bella, and then she was just... mine."

"Huh," he said again.

"Will you stop saying that?" It was really getting on my nerves.

"Huh?" He repeated as a joke. He laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. I couldn't help but smile too. Nick was just such a happy person, so full of energy and humor. Where had this boy come from? He was exactly what I had wished for...

He stopped laughing. "You're looking at me weird..." he informed me. I averted my gaze.

"No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were."

"No, I wasn't!"

"Don't lie!" He laughed. "Or else there will be concequences..." he got a mischevious glint in his eye, very similar to the one Peter got whenever he thought of a new prank. I was a little nervous, as I didn't know him that well, but how bad could it be?

"I'm not lying!" I told him.

"Yes, you are."

"Nope."

"Yes."

"NO!"

"Alright, that's it!" He exclamed. "Concequences for lying!"

He suddenly leaped at me and caught me in a huge bear hug. I screamed and laughed. He tickled me and kept me in the air until I was nearly crying, then he released me. We fell to the ground laughing, staring at the sky. _This is perfect_, I thought.

We laid like that for about fifteen minutes. About five minutes in I realized subconsiously that we were holding hands, but he didn't seem to mind. We looked for shapes in the clouds, little animals or objects. He named a couple I didn't know, like _car, bus, telephone, book, _but I didn't mind that I didn't know them, and neither did he. It was just so perfect...

A muffled BANG sounded from a long ways away. I could barely hear it, but Nick apparently heard it just fine. He sat up suddenly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned. He looked shaken.

"The pirates," he told me. "They're looking for me. I... I have to go." He stood up and extended his hand to me. I took it this time and allowed him to lift me up. He was about to leave, to run off to who-knows-where, but as he was ready to start going, he turned once more.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" He asked.

I nodded once, then again more surely. "Of course. Meet me at the tallest tree in the forest." I pointed it out for him.

"Great," he smiled. He was ready to leave once more, but then, catching me off guard, he quickly kissed me on the cheek. "See you then," he whispered in my ear.

Then he was gone, leaving me to stew in my thoughts.

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

Jillian.

Possibly the best girl I had ever met.

And I was lying to her about everything.

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	7. Chapter 7: Lies

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Chapter 7: Lies

_Nick's POV_

I couldn't stop thinking of her.

Jillian.

And how I was lying to her. About everything.

I felt horrible.

But I had to pretend, as I boarded the pirate ship from the small rowboat, that she didn't matter, like she was no one. Just a girl I had to get rid of to go home. No one.

I sighed. I could pretend for Jane, or Wendy, or even Dad, but I didn't know if I could pretend something this big.

But I had to try.

"Nicholas! How nice to see you again," Hook smiled. "I thought you had left us." He was wearing a new coat, this one with blue trim, but it didn't make him look any less intimidating. Although his tone was kind, his eyes were piercing daggers that tore me apart inside. If he found out what had actually happened... "How did your mission go? Are we ready?"

I shook my head. "No. I need a couple more days. She trusts me already, but not enough." It broke my heart to say those words. I didn't like looking at her as a target- it made me feel like I was lining her up to kill her. _Oh wait, I am_, I remembered in disgust.

Hook nodded. "Good work. And Pan?"

"I haven't been able to get to him yet. Tomorrow, I think I can get the girl to bring me to their hideout." I winced slightly, though he didn't see it.

"Excellent!" He exclaimed, patting me on the shoulder with his normal hand. "You'll be back home in no time."

_But is it really worth the cost?_

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

I couldn't stop thinking of him.

Nick.

And how he made me feel. I had never felt that way.

I felt... different.

How had he made me feel a way no other boy ever had? Considering I lived with six of them, this was a major accomplishment on his part. But why did his eyes say a million words while his voice was silent? Why did I melt in his clear blue gaze?

As I climbed up the ladder that led to the Treehouse, I tried to shake off the odd thoughts rummaging through my head. I needed to focus. I needed to pretend like everything was okay. I needed to... act. Yes. Act.

But that didn't stop me from having a hidden smile invisible on my lips as I stepped into the large room.

"JILLIAN!" an all too familiar voice screamed. "WHERE'S MY PINEAPPLE?"

I groaned inwardly. Leave it to Peter to break my good mood. "I have it, Peter," I told him.

"Well, give it to me!" he ordered. He was barely ten feet away from me and had the position of 'I _could_ get it, but you have it, so give it to me because I'm too lazy and you could do it for me.' I growled. _You want it?_ I thought. _You can have it._

But I lost it.

I threw the pineapple at his head. It rebounded and landed with a large THUNK-BANG that seemed to echo in the forest. There was a moment of silence where Peter stood shocked, yellow lines of juice dripping down his face, and I stood glaring at him. It occured to me at that moment that the Lost Boys were not there with us, but I didn't really care. All I cared was that Peter got what he deserved. I couldn't help but have a small smug half-smile on my face.

Peter just kind of stayed there for a couple more seconds, then reached down and picked up the pineapple. He took a huge, sloppy bite out of it, ignoring me. I slumped down into a chair, exhausted. _Gosh,_ I thought. _Fighting a pirate captain, meeting a cute boy and throwing a pineapple at your leader's head all within a three-day time period takes a lot out of you._

I closed my eyes. _But it was totally worth it_, I thought groggily, before falling asleep with a small smile on my face.

* * *

><p><strong>NEXT MORNING<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

I rolled over in my bed, flinching as the sharp rays of sun began piercing through my cabin window. Not that I had slept at all. I was too worried.

I had a decision. A big one. Betray her and go home? Or protect her and stay here?

Even after ten hours of studying the situation and considering my pros and cons, I had no idea which one I should choose.

I sat up slowly, careful not to hit my head again on the bunk above me, where I had found out yesterday no one slept because there was a spider that lived in it. I didn't care for spiders, but as long as it didn't bug me, I wouldn't bug it. I slid on my shoes, as I was already dressed. Stress makes me anxious...

A gentle, metallic sound came from the door. "Come in," I told whoever was on the other side. Captain Hook swept into the room like a great red wave, with the grace of a dolphin but the terror of the height. His blue eyes flashed, the morning light giving me the illusion that there was two matching fires, one for each eye. His hook glinted malisciously, along with the shine of his this sword. I gulped. I couldn't tell his mood by looking at his face- it was like a blank page, never knowing what's going on it until it's been written. Was he happy? Mad? Was this a bad time?

Most of all- Why did he want to talk to me?

"You're probably wondering why I came to talk to you," he said, his face never moving.

I really hoped that was a coincidence.

"I noticed you didn't seem... yourself yesterday when you gave your report to me on the girl," he told me. I merely shrugged. "Well," he went on, "I was just wondering if you were having... second thoughts... about our agreement." His eyes flashed again, matching his sword.

I fought silently with myself for a moment. Should I tell him? No, no, he'll kill me. But he promised... wait. I had an idea. And it just might work...

"No, no, sir, no second thought," I answered quickly. _Lies,_ I thought to myself ith a hidden smirk. "Everything is just fine."

"Good," he smiled. "I'd hate for my top cabin boy to have a problem." He winked. "Have a good rest of your morning," he said. Then with a whoosh of metal and red cloak, he was gone.

After he was gone, I smiled to myself, thinking of my new plan. "Yup." I muttered. "Juuust fine."

**What's Nick's plan?  
>Will Jillian be captured?<br>How will their romance bud?  
>Will Hook be victorious?<br>What is with Peter and pineapples?  
>AHHHH!<br>All these questions (and more) will be answered when you review! BUT ONLY IF YOU REVIEW.**


	8. Chapter 8: I'm A Hero!

**This is gonna be a long AN, just warning you... Thanks again to every one who has reviewed! I love you guys. NOTE: I do keep your critiques in mind and do the best I can to fix them. Also, it'd be really helpful if it wasn't just praise (although its much appreciated). For all you people who absolutely ADORE my stories and wouldn't like me to change ANYTHING (because, yes, there are people out there like that) try to think outside the box. I live off of your comments!  
>I will take this time to answer some critiques or questions; MAGPIEINTHESHADOW: I will try not to do that any more. I was doing it to make him cranky, though I didn't realize it would change his image... thank you for pointing that out :) <strong>**NONSTALGICSYMPHONY: Don't know if you noticed, but I changed the question. :D Nice catch. Also, I try to add bad character traits... but I'm not good at it... at least Nick and Jillian aren't perfect, right?  
>Wow. not as many critiques and questions as I thought.<strong>

**Again, love you guys, thanks for your support, and without further ado, I give you chapter 8.**

Chapter 8: I'm A Hero!

_Jillian's POV_

When I went to the tree, he was already there waiting for me. There was a light, misty rain that made his hair fall down further into his sky blue eyes, which, even though his mouth was still, were smiling at me. My heart melted with the mud as I looked at him. Beautiful... I thought. Wait. Can guys be beautiful?

I shook the thought from my mind and slipped over to the protection of the tree. He finally smiled at me, warm and comforting.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Fine," I replied. "You?"

"Great, now that you're here," he beamed. I blushed.

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

God, she was so cute!

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

God, he was so cute!

A large bead of water slid off a branch and landed on my head, soaking through my frizzy hair and making me jump. He laughed. I punched him in the arm playfully, then tried (but failed) to shake the water out of my hair. He laughed again, then hit the branch above me, showering me with icy drops. I sqeaked and jumped. Not one of my prouder moments. He cracked up at my high-pitched noise and held his stomach with laughter.

"It's not funny!" I told him, but couldn't help smiling too. He straightened up and tried to stop smiling and laughing, but of course did not succeed.

"Right. Not funny," he said in a serious tone, his cool blue eyes twinkling.

"Oh, just shut up."

"Shutting up."

"I'm serious!"

"Me too."

But neither of us really were.

* * *

><p>Straining, but smiling, Peter stood up (with much effort) in the abandoned Treehouse. "Aha! I've done it!" he yelled with delight. "I've done it!"<p>

"Now if I can just fly..."

Testing himself, careful not to move his arm too much, he lifted a couple feet in the air. "Aha!" he said again. "I have to show Jillian now! She'll be so pleased that I've finally gotten better."

With the delight of a five-year-old, he moved to the door and shot out, looking for his Lost Girl.

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

We were now both in the tree, soaking and laughing. Nick had hit another branch but accidentally doused himself, then pushed me into the open space. I would like to say I took the cold with a smile and a dance, but sadly, I shrieked again like a little girl. Everything was kind of a blur. I'm still not sure how we got in the tree... but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that I was with him and we were having a great time.

In fact, the only thing that could have ruined it was...

* * *

><p>Peter darted through the forest, heading for Jillian's favorite place, the tallest tree in Neverland. He spied a mess of brown sitting in the branches, and dove to meet her. But wait? Who was this odd boy with her? Blond hair, blue eyes...<p>

He looked like the boy version of Wendy.

Peter's lip curled up. How dare someone like him come, especially after Wendy had left like she did.

He shot down between the branches, whipping out his dagger as he plummeted. He lended directly on the Wendy-boy's branch and put it to his neck, forcing him against the truck of the tree.

"Peter!" Jillian yelled. "What are you doing?"

Peter ignored her and pressed his knife harder. The Wendy-boy's eyes widened, and he put his hands up. "Look, I don't want any trouble, uh, Peter," he said with an alarmed expression. "I don't know what the problem is, but-"

"Who are you?" Peter hissed. "That's all I want to know. Who. Are. You."

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

Who am I?

The question echoed through my head, along with possible answers to the question. _Why, I'm Nick Darling, of course_, I could say. _Just a boy, looking for adventure_ was another one, but I doubted Peter would believe that. _Oh, yeah, I'm Hook's cabin boy and spy-ninja, sent to capture you and Jillian so that he can kill you both and I can go home!_

Yeah. That one was out of the question.

The look in Peter's bright green eyes was murderous. With every passing second he pushed the cold metal of his knife against my throat. No blood yet, but I knew that wouldn't last long if I didn't answer quickly. I went for obvious.

"Nick," I told him.

He stepped back, knife still to my neck, but not so bad that I was unable to breath. "Just... Nick?" he asked, clearly confused. I nodded. "Any last name?"

"Um... Darling," I said hesitantly. What would he do? Aunt Wendy had left him, after all. Would he still be hurting after so long?

The answer, unfortunately, was yes. He stiffened and dug the point into my neck so I could barely talk. "Wendy's son?" he spat, more a statment than a question. I shook my head a little, which was as much as I could do.

He took the metal away from my neck altogether. He scratched the back of his neck with it as I rubbed my sore throat. "Michael's son?" he asked. I shook my head again. "Obviously not Nana's," he thought out loud. Apparently, he wasn't the brightest fish in the tree. I shook my head again.

"John's, then!" He exclaimed, finally getting it.

"Congradulations," I said sarcastically. He puffed himself up and pretended to look smart.

"Only a small act of genius for Peter Pan," he responded breezily, not catching my sarcasm. He stuck out his chest and put his hands on his hips, trying to look heroic. I caught Jillian's eye and we both tried not to fall out of the tree laughing.

"What?" he said crossly. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing," we said together, trying to hide smiles. He glared at us, but said nothing else. It occured to me that this was he perfect time to put my plan into action.

"So, Peter, what kind of other heroic deeds do you do?" I asked, prompting him.

His eyes lit up with a new gleam, a mischevious gleam that made me the tiniest bit nervous. "Oh, I have all kinds of great fun, all the time. In fact," he pasued dramatically, and I knew what I wanted was coming, "I was about to go play a great prank on the pirates. Care to join me?"

I started to say yes, but Jillian interrupted me. "You can't, Peter, your arm's still bad."

"Nope!" He said. "It's just fine now. So, Nick, would you like to prove you've got what it takes?"

I nodded.

"Excellent," he said. "Let's get those nasty pirates!" He shot into the air and did a flip, clearly showing off. "I'll get the Lost Boys!" he yelled, then dissapeared into the sky.

I hopped down from the tree and began walking in the direction Peter flew in. Jillian jumped down next to me, probably a bit cross from me ignoring her.

"Nick, I don't think this is a good idea," she said. "The pirates want to catch you, me, and Peter. If we play a prank on them then we'll just be-"

"Getting an even better prank out of it!" I responded. If everything went according to my plan, we'd all end up without a scratch. "I'm a bit of a hero myself," I added with a wink. "I saved you from complete boredom. Besides, what could go wrong?"

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

What could go wrong?

Everything.

**And here is chapter 8. You're welcome.  
>Comments, critiques, feedback? I do use it in my stories. The review button loves your love! And with all the responses, it can RULE THE WORLD! So review, so that when you become it's loyal and devoted subject, you won't get thrown in jail. Yay! <strong>


	9. Chapter 9: When Right is Wrong

**I'm sorry. I'm such a hypocrite. I was grounded from the computer for a week, then when I finally came back on all I did was review other people's stories and say, "Great job! Please update!" Sorry for the wait. Here's chapter 9 for you, finally.**

Chapter 9: When Right is Wrong

Peter towered over his Boys, his bright green eyes glinting in the late afternoon light. "Are you ready?" he asked, smiling.

"We're ready, Peter," the Boys chorused, with the exception of one. Even though the voices of five boys almost covered the absense, Peter noticed.

"Curly, is something wrong?" he questioned. Curly sighed, scratching the back of his head like he does when he's nervous.

"I don't know, Peter, it just seems kind of fishy. A boy, a Darling no less, comes to the island, immediately makes friends with Jillian, challenges you to a prank, and yet we know nothing about him?" Curly summed up. "Something_ is_ wrong- something about this is off."

Peter clucked his tongue. "Oh, please, Curly, you're over thinking this. We're just going to have a little fun, like any other day. What could go wrong? Now," he added, turning away from Curly, "any of you think what he thinks?"

The Boys were silent, nervously shuffling their feet. Curly looked down at the floor. He should have known Peter wouldn't listen to him, but he at least thought that his brothers would stick up for him. Apparently, he was wrong.

Peter moved on, seemingly ignoring the last minute of controversy. Curly chimed in with the boys when Peter asked them questions, acting like nothing was wrong, but his heart wasn't in it. _This could go wrong_, he thought nervously. _Anything could happen. What if Peter gets hurt again? What if the prank goes haywire? What if-_ he swallowed hard. _What if Jillian gets in trouble?_

If Peter could read Curly's thoughts, he would say that it's all an adventure. _To die would be the greatest adventure_, Curly repeated in his head. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he thought about that statement. It'd be an adventure for the person dying, but what about the people left behind? If Jilian died, he knew Peter wouldn't be able to live with himself, but if Peter died, he would expect them to move on.

_So confusing!_ Curly shook his head slightly, trying to shake out his thoughts. If only everything was as easy as Peter said it was... Curly still couldn't figure out what to do. He scratched the back of his head. _What's right in this situation? What really is wrong?_

He had no idea...

* * *

><p>Bella sat on the windowsill of the Treehouse, ignoring the boys. Her bright green eyes scanned the forest, but she didn't see Jillian. <em>She's off with that boy again,<em> a voice said behind her. _No control over her, I see?_

Bella sighed. Without turning around, she said, _At least I don't continuously let my human lead a bunch of boys to their death, Tinker Bell._ She could sense Tink getting red behind her, but she didn't move, just continued staring out the window.

_That's insulting. Besides, they never actually die_, Tink defended.

_Are you just mad because that boy is the nephew of Wendy?_

Tink chuckled in bell tones. _Why would I be mad because that boy is related to a cow? I could care less about the "Wendy-bird."_ She spat out Wendy-bird like it was something disgusting. _Besides-_

_Tink,_ Bella said, cutting her off, _what if this Nick boy isn't who he says he is? _

_Why wouldn't he be? _Tink questioned.

_I don't know..._ Bella shivered, despite the warm air. She wrapped her long blond hair around herself, as if it was a blanket. _Something just feels- off. _She gazed out the window, but her eyes looked far, far away from their little island. _Something's not right about this._

Tink shrugged. _I don't know what it would be, but it's up to you to decide what you think is right, and what you think is wrong. _She patted Bella's shoulder in an unexpectedly friendly manner_. Let me know when you come up with the answer. _Then she was gone with a flurry of wind and wings, leaving Bella along to stir in her thoughts.

Bella sighed. _That's the problem,_ she muttered to herself. _What is wrong about this situation?_

She had no idea.

* * *

><p>Hook sat in his cabin, curling a single black lock of hair on his dreaded, fearsome weapon that gave him his name. He had longed for someone like Nick to come along. And now here one was, bringing him his treasures- Peter Pan and the so-called Lost Girl. He chuckled to himself. Lost Girl? What a joke. No girl can fall out of their crib. They're too smart.<p>

_Not this one,_ he chuckled._ And certainly not Wendy._

He stopped chuckling when he thought of Wendy. The Darling. The storytelling girl that had captivated Indian, Lost Boy, and pirate alike. Apparently, Nick was capable of entrancing the Lost Boys as well- they seemed to trust him just fine. However, he didn't captivate the pirates- the pirates captured him.

Hook smiled wryly. Soon, he would be the ruler of Neverland, with no one in his way. If Peter Pan was gone, the Lost Boys would have no one to follow.

Then no one would stand in his way of glory...

Except the Indians, of course, but Hook brushed the thought away. He propped his feet up on the table and smiled a real smile- as gruesome as it got. Turning his plan over and over in his mind, searching for points that fell through, he sighed with delight. No flaws, as far as he could see. Nothing could ruin it!

Hook's smile grew wider. An involuntary chill went up the back of every shipmate on board, though they had no idea why. Hook began to chuckle to himself, a dark, menacing noise most grown men heard in their nightmares.

Oh, yes. For Hook, everything was just right.

**Again, sorry for the wait! Before I see this in all the reviews, yes, I am POV crazy, and yes, I will update soon. I decided not to do the prank in this chapter because I needed to revisit old characters, so not to "get centered around my two own characters", as one review said. I took you advice, reader. Dd you appreciate that? And yes, if anyone asks, the prank will come soon. Just you wait.  
>The review button loves you, and hopes you will love it...<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: Joke's on You

**Yes, this is the long (long) awaited... PRANK CHAPTER! Sorry and you're welcome :) PS: This chapter might be a little odd... I'm trying to get back into the swing of things...**  
><strong>Disclaimer: Since I haven't done one in a long time, I probably should... I only own Bella, Nick, and Jillian. And the situations. And... nah, I think that's it...<br>Oh, and sorry for all the puncuation points... the review button made me do it... just kidding... I have absolutely no idea why I'm doing it.  
>Anyway. LET THE PRANKING COMMENCE!<strong>

Chapter 10: Joke's on You

_Jillian's POV_

It was quiet. Too quiet. Just like the first time- and look how well that turned out.

We were alongside the Jolly Roger in our little rowboat once more, but this time, we had Nick with us. His blue eyes were sparked with adventure as he stared up the side of the ship, straining to see the pirates. I could only envy him- I was as nervous as a rabbit in a fox hole. I was definitely having second thoughts about his prank. _What if Hook catches us?_ I wonder, biting the inside of my lip. _What if someone gets hurt again? What if this is all a trick? What if I'm just psyching myself out? What if-_

"Geez, Jillian," Curly hissed, "Be quiet!"

Oops. I had said that out loud.

I sighed, and muttered back, "Sorry." He rolled his eyes and mumbled something that sounded like, "Girls." I stuck my tongue out at him. He widened his eyes and made a fishy face at me, as if telling me to go punch him in the face. I started towards him, clenching my fists and rocking the boat.

"Jillian, stop!" commanded Peter in a low voice. "The last thing we need is for you two idiots to mess this up. Let's go." He was completely focused on pranking and annoying his archenemy, no matter the cost. Leaning over, he whispered something into Slightly's ear. Slightly nodded in response.

"Hang on," he told us. He gestured to Bella, who gave him a sprinkle of fairy dust, just enough to give him big jumps but not enough to fly and be noticed. After bending his knees, he hurled his thin body into the air and grabbed onto an odd metal rod hanging off of the side of the boat. Nibs bit his fingernails as he watched his best friend swing so that his feet were positioned on the rail and stand up.

"Whoa!" Slightly yelled, losing his balance temporarily. A collective scream arose out of our group, muffled from trying to suppress it to keep our cover. "I'm okay, I'm okay," he assured us. Then he jumped once more, landing on the rim of the ship, flashing a final smile, and disappearing on the deck.

We listened in silence, the sound of the waves gently lapping at the sides of the boat and Slightly's footsteps the only things we can hear no matter how hard we strained our ears. "Guys, there's, like, no one here! Wait- WAIT- What is that- Hey-"

Silence.

"Slightly?" Nibs called. "Slightly!"

"Calm down," the Twins whispered. "He's probably fine."

"Uh, yeah, sure. That wasn't a bad sign at all," Curly muttered sarcastically. I shot him a glare, along with like everyone else on the boat. Nibs looked absolutely terrified, just staring at the side of the boat blankly.

"Now look what you did," Tootles whined quietly to Curly. He just shrugged, as if saying, _Someone had to tell him._

I rolled my eyes and looked up the side of the boat again. What was up there? What had taken Slightly?

"I can't take it anymore!" I hissed. "I'm going up."

"NO!" Nick nearly shouted, startling all of us. He glanced around, alarmed by the reaction he got. He had every head swiveled towards him. He suddenly looked about two feet smaller and four years younger, but the spark in his eyes showing confidence still wasn't lost. He lowered his voice, focusing on me. "I mean... It's too dangerous. Who knows what's up there. Maybe the pirates. Maybe the crocodile came and ate them." Nibs whimpered a little. We ignored him. "Maybe the ship really is abandoned, and Slightly just saw something. Let someone else go," he finished, setting his hand on my arm and looking into my eyes with false fear but very true worry.

I twisted away from him. "Yeah. Right. It's just because I'm a girl, isn't it?" I spat.

"No, no," he whispered. "That's not it at all! I just-"

"Oh, save it, Nick. You're no better than the rest of them. You know what, if it makes you feel better, Nibs will come with me. Come on, Nibs." Nibs straightened, smiling at the chance to go get his friend, and stood by me. I glared at Nick. "Don't try to stop me."

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Curly, who said, "Jillian, stop being such a baby and just stay here. It's not-"

He, in turn, was interrupted by Peter. "Jillian, this isn't just about you being a girl. Hook wants to kill you the most out of everybody, other than Nick and me. Let someone else go." I stared blankly at him. "What?" he asked defensively.

"Who are you and what have you done with Peter Pan?" I asked. "You know what, don't answer that. Bella, let's fly."

_I don't think it's a good idea either_, she chimed, green eyes downcast.

I rolled my eyes. "You don't have to accept it, you just have to give me some fairy dust!" I told her, more irritated now. She sighed, and reluctantly showered me and Nibs with fairy dust. I grabbed his hands and we rose up to the ship, leaving the rest of the boys behind. Peter, Curly, and Nick all stood up at the same time, watching the two of us disappear over the side of the ship like Slightly had not five minutes earlier.

Once Nibs and I landed safely on the ship, I looked back down at the worried boys' faces. "I'll be fine. If anything happens, I'll just send Bella down." I smiled. "Don't worry." As one, they nodded, but I knew they didn't mean it. Nick and Peter exchanged glances, having a secret conversation. Peter seemed to be saying, _Should I go too?_ Nick shook his head, saying, _No, if she says she'll be fine, then she'll be fine._ Curly just stared up at me with an expression I didn't understand.

I couldn't spend another minute looking at them. I turned to Nibs. "Let's go find Slightly," I told him. He nodded, excited, and we slowly and carefully walked away from the side, where our nervous family was waiting.

The ship was completely still and silent, save the whispers of the Lost Boys and the gentle whistling of the wind through the sails. I looked all around the ship, behind barrels, inside crates, and even down the stairs. Nothing. There was no sign of him anywhere. I was so desperate, I was ready to look in the head for him!

"What happened to him?" I wondered aloud, so only I could hear. I decided to try down the stairs again. Bella followed me. The sound of her wings beating comforted me, a lonely but happy sound in the time of discomfort. At least that was one upside.

"Slightly?" I hissed once I reached downstairs, only daring to raise my voice to a medium level. "Where are you? Are you there? Slightly?"

_Jillian!_ Bella warned. _Look out-_

Her chimes were cut off suddenly- too suddenly. I whirled around, expecting the worst, but no one was behind me- not even Bella. My fairy had disappeared, just like Slightly.

"Bella!" I called. "Bella!"

Running up the stairs, I started calling Nibs's name as well. No answer. He seemed to have just vanished off of the deck as well. Another person, just... gone. This was getting freaky. Way, way, freaky. Are the guys even still there? I wondered. I started to move back to the side of the ship. "Guys, I think this was a bad-"

Had Bella been there, I probably would have noticed the sounds of muffled footsteps approaching behind me, or the soft, sweet humming that had followed after she had been caught, or even the smell of a man without a shower for two months. But she wasn't there, so a mangled and dirty hand covered my mouth and nose with a rag. I tried to fight, tried to claw at the arm that held me, tried to kick at the owner of the arm, but the rag overpowered me. It smelled sickly sweet, and gave me a headache- but not in a bad way. Suddenly, I felt myself becoming... awfully sleepy... the deck looked like a big soft bed, that I could just close my eyes and fall asleep in... I went limp, succumbing to the rag's powerful scent, and fell into my captor's arms.

The last thing I saw was the shine of gleaming metal... then everything went black.

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

After a couple excruciatingly long minutes, we heard Jillian's voice again. She was calling out to Bella, then Nibs, then both. Had something happened?

"Guys," she called, talking to us, "I think this was a bad-"

Her voice cut off just like Slightly and Nibs's had, but this time was different. Scrabbled odd sounds and muffled shouts arose from the deck, but then it was completely silent. Something bad had happened. Definitely something very bad.

Peter stood up, his posture exerting confidence, but there was fear (that wasn't hidden very well) behind his eyes. Curly put a hand on his shoulder and cocked one ear towards the ship. The rowboat was as quiet as a graveyard, with us as the mourners- but we didn't know who had died. Yet. Just the thought of _yet_ send shivers up my neck. If she got hurt, it would be all my fault. But if Nibs or Slightly got hurt...

Then I'd have real blood on my hands. And not just their's- my own as well.

If they died, I would be torn to pieces by the other Lost Boys. If she died, then I would tear myself to pieces- and Peter would gladly help, I was sure of that. I needed to save them all. _Screw you, Hook,_ I thought. _She's more important than you._

But before I knew it, Peter was flying into the air. I grabbed his ankle just in time. "What are you doing?" I hissed.

"Getting Jillian, Nibs, and Slightly back. Duh," he said.

"No way," Curly responded. "If you go, then we all go."

"Yeah," The Twins and Tootles chimed, crossing their arms at the same time.

"We all should go," I said quietly, looking up at him. "It'll be easier with more people."

Peter opened his mouth to argue, but Tink started saying something at a very fast rate into his ear. He thought about it, then nodded. "Okay. That's fair. Tink, give them some dust." She dashed some on, adding extra on to me and Curly. The six of us and Tink rose into the air and hovered above the deck, hesitant to set feet on the ground that had taken our friends.

"See anything?" I asked Peter.

"No. Wait- there's movement over there, by that crate," he whispered. "Want to go check it out?"

"Hold on," Tootles said. "There's something over there, too. Behind that barrel. See it?"

"No," responded one Twin, "I see the thing behind that box over there."

"I see it too," said the other Twin.

"They're all around us," Curly muttered, confirming the over looming sense of dread we had all felt. "It was a set-up! They knew we were coming!"

I felt sick to my stomach. Of course they had known we were coming- I was the one who told them.

The pirates attacked then. Yelling words of triumph and fury, and brandishing their swords with confidence, they truly were a frightening sight. The Lost Boys wasted no time, pulling out their own makeshift daggers and blocking the blows that were aimed towards them- but as hard as they tried, they couldn't fight off the pirates for too long. They were bigger and had more experience, while the Lost Boys had been startled into a fight. Twin 1 went down first, and the pirate he had been fighting clamped something over his mouth. After a few moments of struggle, the Twin's eyes rolled up and then closed. Knocked out.

"No!" The other Twin yelled. He jumped on the man's back, forcing him to let go of his brother. Other than that, the evil man was unfazed. He grabbed the Twin's hands, which were tightly woven around his neck, and flipped him over his shoulders. Twin 2's head hit the beck and he was suddenly as still as his brother.

Tootles, meanwhile, was trying to fight two pirates at once. He did a couple clever moves, forcing the pirates to fight each other a couple times, but he eventually went down as well, and a similar object to Twin 1's was shoved in his face. He, too, passed out.

Tink emitted an angry burst of bells and charged after the two men who had defeated Tootles. That fight didn't last long at all- one swipe of the bag and Tink was gone.

So now it was only me, Curly, and Peter fighting for our lives- and for consciousness. But every time another of his brothers went down, Curly became distracted. He was now bleeding from two cuts on his left arm, the price he had to pay for not being focused. Peter, on the other hand, didn't seem to care. He took each pirate down with a mere three slashes of his dagger, no matter how many came barreling towards him. Sometimes he would emit a psychotic laugh of some kind, something that scared even me, and he would flip over the pirate's head and stab him in the back.

"It is fair," he said in between pirates. "They know I'm there, so it's just their fault they don't turn in time. Ah, the cleverness of me!"

As he was saying that, Curly went down and was treated in the same manner as the other two boys. He became as still as a doll, but with none of the crafted peace given by the maker. He was clearly unsettled, but his time to fight was over.

Now, Peter and I kept up the fight by ourselves. I was battling two pirates at once- he was battling four that were constantly changing as more and more pirates went down. He crowed, and I shot him a glare. Bad decision. My dagger was knocked from my hand and the two guys pushed me down. I half-expected them to knock me out, but I should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

"Hah!" One of the uglies laughed. "Joke's on you this time, stupid boy!"

"Hold on," the other ugly said to the first one, who was reaching in his pocket. "It's the Wendy-boy!"

"Can't be," Ugly Number One replied, not even looking up from his search, "He wouldn't dare cross Hook."

Ugly Two got in my face. "Nope, sure as day!" Ugly One finally looked at my face. He whistled.

"Hook won't be happy to see you," he laughed before hauling me to my feet and pushing me towards his buddy. "Take him to the cap'n's quarters. He'll deal with him."

Ugly Two dragged me across the deck. I could only watch in hopeful horror as Peter, completely unaware of the other's fates, continued to fight. When he had struck the last pirate, he said, "Peter Pan always wins!"

Just then, Ugly One came up behind him and clubbed the back of his head. Peter crumpled, a little blood from his head leaking onto the deck. I turned my head away- I didn't want to see how it ended. I didn't want to know if the great Leader of the Lost Boys was... I couldn't even bare to think the word.

_Please be alive, Peter,_ I willed him. _Please. Stay alive for her_.

The door to the captain's quarters swung open behind me, and Ugly Two shoved me in. "Good luck," he chuckled cruelly, then closed the door, shrouding me in darkness.

But not complete darkness.

A small light flickered on behind me. "Ah, Nicholas, how nice to see you again."

I gulped, swallowing my fear and trying to put out an air of fake confidence. I didn't turn to the evil captain as I said, "I'm afraid I can't say the same to you."

"Tsk, tsk, no need for that. Saying such things makes me start to question which side you're on."

"I'm beginning to wonder about that myself."

"But, my boy, don't you want to go home? Why would you want to try to save a girl you just met?"

I froze. I couldn't tell him why- he'd kill me (or worse) for sure. I spun around. "Alright. You can take me home. And, you can never bother my family again because I brought you Pan as well. But," I paused, "You have to promise not to hurt her."

Hook smiled a greasy smile that was as curled and mangled as a lock of his hair. "You have my word," he said. "As long as you're on this island, I won't hurt her. We'll take you home tomorrow morning, as soon as we do away with those dreaded Lost Boys. You can-"

"Can I at least say good bye to her?"

He cocked his head, confused, then his smile began to widen. "Ah. You have feelings for her."

I crossed my arms and huffed. "No," I lied. "But I think she does for me. Please, please, don't tell her what I'm done."

He rose his hook into the air. "I will not breathe a single word of it to her. I swear it. Now, onto the buisness of your good bye..."

He droned on and on about the possibilities, but I already knew what I had to do...

I just didn't want to lose my Lost Girl.

**So, no, there technically was no prank. They meant to just mess with the pirates, but the unsettling sense of wrong they all felt had been right. Except for Peter. He thought it was right but it was wrong and wrong was right. I'm even confusing myself here.**  
><strong>You're welcome for the super long chapter :) PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! The button misses you!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11: Waiting

**We are officially at Chapter 11. Give yourselves a big round of applause- you made it! We made it! But will Nick, Jillian, and the Lost Boys make it? I guess you'll have to read to find out... :D  
>This is kind of a filler chapter; I have minor writer's block. BUT DON'T WORRY I won't give up on this story!<strong>**  
>Oh, and just so you know, in the first sequence in Jillian's POV, it's supposed to be like that. Just so there's no questions (EXCEPT FROM THE SILLY PEOPLE WHO DON'T READ AUTHOR'S NOTES!)<br>Enjoy.**

Chapter 11: Waiting

_Nick's POV_

The plan would work. The plan would work.

I hoped so...

The pirates had locked me in the room where Jillian and the Lost Boys were "sleeping". My hands were tied behind my back for authenticity, so there was nearly nothing to do. I watched Jillian breathe, peaceful and innocent. pretty even when she was sleeping. Her brown curly hair seemed to form a pillow for her head. And yet there was something wrong... she would stir every minute or so, mumbling something that I couldn't understand. _What is she dreaming?_ I wondered.

_What's happening, Jillian?_

I sat back against the wall and waited for her to wake up.

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

_The storm rocks my ship, tossing it front and back like I am its play toy. I scream as loud as I can but nobody seems to hear me. I am about to give up the fight against the water when Nick appears on one side of the boat. He holds out his hand and the door behind him opens. __"Come with me," he tells me. I start to walk towards him, but then Peter shows up behind me and yells, "Stop, Jillian!" I turn to look at him. Curly is standing next to him, with the Lost Boys behind the two of them. Peter holds out his hand, and the storm on his side of the ship clears, showing the island behind him. "Come with me," he insists. "He's tricking you." "No, I'm not," Nick says defensively. "Yes, you are," Curly pipes up. "Jillian, he's going to betray you!" "How dare you even say such a thing?" Nick sputters. "Jillian, are you going to believe these liars... or me?" "Believe us, Jillian," the Lost Boys say, all taking a step towards me. "Believe me, Jillian," Nick says, taking a step towards me as well. I'm looking between the two of them, trying to decide. My family, who I've had numerous adventures with? Or the new boy who I could have brand-new ones with?_

_I'm about to make my decision when the storm gets worse. THe boat rocks and tips, then raises up on one side and flips me over the boat into the water. I hear all of them scream, _"_Jillian!", but there's nothing they or I can do. The water submerges me, and the surface turns to glass. I try to beat against it, to break it, but it won't budge. My head is throbbing as I start to lose consiousness. A tall figure with a large hat and a curled, mangled hand appears over me, standing on the glass I'm trying to break. He smiles down at me, laughing at my struggle. I begin to get weaker... and weaker... soon, my banging fists are just scrabbling fingers, bleeding from the tiny shards I managed to get off of the surface. All I can hear is laughing, laughing, and the pound of my head, throbbing, throbbing, the water pulls me down, I try to scream, but I'm too weak, it's going to kill me! I can't help myself, I'm pulled down, down, down into the darkness of the water, and it's so cold, so cold, I'm shaking, shaking, shaking, voices are screaming my name, Jillian! Jillian! But I can't do anything but sink..._

I woke up in a cold sweat, breathing heavy. That dream... it meant something. I just couldn't figure out what...

I sat up and winced. The headache in my dream had transferred to the real world, and I felt like my whole body was throbbing with pain. _Ouch. _What ever had been on that rag that knocked me out was some pretty powerful stuff. It left me tingling, feeling on the edge of falling somewhere, but at the same time I had a totally insecure sense of safety. I closed my eyes and my head back, trying to get rid of the painful throbbing. What was going on?

"Oh, you're awake!" a sweetly familiar voice said. I looked up and smiled weakly.

"Sadly, yes," I muttered. "My head hurts."

"It should," Nick said with a tone I didn't understand. Worry? Acceptance? "You were knocked out by chloroform."

"Chrolowhat?"

"Chloroform. It's a substance that knocks people out. You're the first one awake."

I groaned, and tried to put my head in my hands to press against my temples, but I realized that my hands were tied behind my back to a bar of some kind. "This keeps getting better and better," I grumbled.

"Could be worse. One of the Twins had to be knocked out by force, and Peter..." he trailed off.

"What? Peter what?" I twisted myself to try to look around the room, but I couldn't see him.

"He's over there, in the corner, just out of your vision. He's got chains on just in case he wakes up and decides to try to fly, but... he got hit really bad. He's not going to be waking up anytime soon, and when he does, Hook's going to get him." His voice was sad, but there was something hidden underneath it that I could just barely hear but couldn't decipher, just like the first time. What was it?

"And you?"

"They decided to leave me awake. Why, I can't imagine." There it was again! I squinted at him, trying to see what I wasn't hearing. His eyes flickered nervously, but I still couldn't figure out why. "Um, what's up with your eyes?" he asked. This time, his voice was obviously just a nervous tone with nothing hidden.

"Sorry," I said, relaxing. "My head really hurts."

We sat for a couple moments in silence. His head hung down a little, obviously thinking. I stared at the wall behind him. Something was off. Not like what I had felt about the prank, but something with Nick...

"What are you not telling me?" I asked quietly.

He flicked his head up, flipping his blond hair. "What was that?" he said with just a hint of suspiciousness.

"Nothing," I lied. "Just talking to myself."

He nodded, and looked down again, but what had been in his voice was now hidden well behind his eyes. Even then, I couldn't tell what it was, but it was something important. I could at least tell that much. How important it was- Now, that was a different matter to be discovered altogether... _And how long do I have to wait to find out?_ I wondered.

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

She knew.

Oh my god, she knew.

Or at least, she suspected.

Oh. My. God.

_What am I going to do?_

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

So now, all I could do was wait. Wait for Nick to tell me what was really going on. Wait for the Lost Boys- my brothers- to wake up. Wait for Hook to unleash his newest terror, wait for him to torture me, wait for him to kill me. Wait for my fate to come.

Have I ever mentioned I hate waiting?

**Sorry if there was a lot of POV changes, I just... felt like it. Critiques? Comments? Questions?**  
><strong>THE REVIEW BUTTON LOVES YOU... AND YOU... AND YOU!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12: Falling Apart

**No author's note here, just a chapter. Enjoy.**

Chapter 12: Falling Apart

_Jillian's POV_

I stared glumly out of the small porthole beside me that served as a window. We had been trapped in the hold for what I guessed was about a day, but it seemed like a lot longer. Although we were cramped together in the small room, no one made a sound, save the occasional sniffle, cough, sigh, or fidget that arose. Peter still wasn't awake. We were still drowning in hopelessness and wait, with our hands tied behind our backs (literally).

And there was nothing we could do about it.

Tootles crawled over to me and layed his head against my stomach. Because he was the youngest of us, the pirates hadn't seen him as a threat and had left him unchained and free to roam the room. I smiled slightly down at him, but he only frowned back.

"Jillian?" He asked in a quiet voice. "Are we ever going to get out of here?"

I felt tears prick my eyes, but I blinked them away. "Of course, Tootles. Don't worry. We'll find a way." Tootles smiled greatfully and closed his eyes. After about ten minutes, his nose crinkled up, and his breathing slowed to a steady pace that was calming. He was sound asleep.

Curly took this opportunity to scoff, "Why would you lie to him?"

I shot him a glare. "Who said I'm lying? Maybe we will."

"Oh, please!" He almost yelled. I glanced at Tootles, but he didn't stir. "Peter's still knocked out, everyone's hands are tied behind their backs, and we're stuck with a guy, a Darling no less, who we don't even know if we can trust!"

Nick narrowed his eyes and his hands clenched into fists behind his back, but suprisingly, he didn't say anything in retaliation.

"Nothing to say?" Curly spat. "That's what I thought."

"Shut up, Curly," I hissed.

"What? Are you gonna make me?" He taunted. "It's his fault we're in this mess!"

"No, it's not!" I defended.

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's not!"

"Yes, it is! Stop denying it!"

"Stop blaming him!"

"He's the one to blame!"

"Maybe we're all to blame," Slightly spoke up timidly. "Maybe it's all our faults. Maybe-"

"SHUT UP, SLIGHTLY!" We screamed together. Tootles chose that moment to whimper in his sleep, and the burning hatred towards Curly dissapeared- for the most part. Everyone looked at Tootles to see if he had woken up. Luckily, he hadn't, but his expression was no longer peaceful; It was troubled, unsettled, and it was much too serious for his childish face.

Silence echoed through the room, much louder than our verbal fight. I stared at the floor, unable to look at my brothers, much less Nick. I don't know why I had tried to protect him- after all, I didn't know if he could be trusted, either. But there was something in his smile, something in the way his eyes sparkled, that I had to believe he was innocent. I just had to.

After a while, Curly muttered, "Sorry."

I could almost hear Nick force a smile. "It's okay. You're right to suspect me."

Everyone's heads shot up at once (besides Tootles, of course) and looked at Nick with matching expressions of disbelief. "What?" Nick asked incredulously. "I didn't say I was the one who did it! I just said I was the person to suspect most. There's a difference," he defended. I relaxed, but no one else did.

"But... you just said that Curly was right. And you admitted that you're the main suspect," Nibs pointed out.

"You've practically..." Twin One started.

"...Given yourself away," Twin Two finished.

"They've got a point," Slightly agreed. I chewed on my lip. They were right.

"You guys can't be serious," Nick said, fear flickering behind his eyes.

"Can't we?" Curly asked, a small creepy smile on his face. Nick looked towards me for support. I didn't meet his eyes.

"Jillian?" he pleaded, his voice cracking slightly. "Don't you believe me?"

Right then, I wanted more than anything to be able to say, _Yes, I believe you, don't be so silly_, but the words didn't come. The fact of the matter was, there was nothing that told me I could trust this boy except for a gut feeling that had passed when the Lost Boys began to accuse him, and those sorrowful, pure blue eyes that tore at my heart. Stunned into silence, all I could do was stare at the floor and try not to let a tear slip out from my eye.

He slumped. "So, everyone is against me then, huh," he confirmed, voice dull. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Curly's smirk grow wider as he realized that I was going to say nothing.

Slightly cleared his throat.

Nibs twitched uncomfortably.

The twins exchanged glances.

I stared as hard as I could at the floor, as if it would open up and save me from the silent cries of Nick's grief.

Tootles still slept soundly.

Even without looking, I knew only Curly had the confidence to look at Nick straight on. How could anyone else even glance at the boy who, a day and a half before, had been everybody's new best friend? The kind (but cocky) boy who we were going to pull an all-new prank with? The one who had become our brother as quickly as he had said hello?

Or at least, their brother. I realized now, even though I didn't want to, that he was something completely different to me...

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

I knew I was screwed from the first moment word out of Curly's mouth.

I should have just stayed out of this! I shouldn't have tried to say goodbye to Jillian! How was I going to say goodbye, anyway? _Hey, Jillian, I know it looks bad, but I have to leave you in the hands of Hook so I can go home, so bye_? No way! _I'm such an idiot,_ I grumbled to myself as I tried to get Jillian to meet my eyes.

On top of my moron-ness, Curly had managed to turn everyone against me. They all doubted me now- and they were all right. I was a traitor. I was a jerk. Did I even have a chance to fix this?

"Hey, look, Peter's waking up!"

Well, if I had a chance, it was gone now.

The Lost Boys scooted as well as they could without hands to where Peter was sitting, glassy-eyed but smiling. He winced when Slightly accidently bumped heads with him. _Probably still has a headache_, I realized, picturing his defeat in the battle with disgusted memory. _I hope it's enough to not make him turn against me, too._

Then again, was he ever on my side?

"What's this I heard about the Wendy-boy being a liar?" Peter asked, his gaze sharpening a little when it landed on me.

"I think he's untrustworthy and he admitted he's the one who got us in this mess," Curly put bluntly.

My mouth fell open. "I didn't say that!"

"Well... yeah, you pretty much did," Slightly pointed out.

"Please, let's not start this again," Jillian groaned. I shot a gratifying glance in her direction, but she didn't look at me.

"But Curly may be right," Nibs said softly. "We have to figure out the truth."

"I know that," she assured him, "I just don't want to have another he-said he-didn't-say he-did-say he-didn't-mean-that conversation like the one we just had. It's really annoying."

I slumped. She didn't trust me, either. This wasn't going the way I wanted it.

"Then let's skip it," Curly suggested with a smirk. "Go ahead and tell us the truth, _Darling_."

All eyes (except for the brown ones I needed the most) flicked towards me. I began to fidget. I needed a way out of this, but there was none that I could see! How could I tell them the truth?

"Come on, _Darling_, tell us," Curly taunted again. He was so annoying! I looked towards the porthole. If only I could figure out a way to get out of here...

"Nick? Is there something you need to get off your chest?" Peter said in a low, threatening voice, his tone telling me I didn't have a choice. "'Cause we're all ready to hear it."

The gazes shifted from Peter's now almost electrifying green eyes to my worried blue. There was no getting out of this. But I couldn't! I just-

"Please, Nick."

Her voice was barely above a whisper. It quivered, suggesting she was about to cry. But it packed a punch like none I had ever felt before. She, of all people, didn't believe me. I felt myself crumbling. There was nothing now. Nothing. I had no choice, no way to turn, no more corners to back into.

I told them the truth.

I told them of Hook's appearance at Aunt Wendy's house, how he had enlisted me to find Jillian, but I had found what a wonderful girl she was and didn't want to abandon her. I told them of his promise not to hurt her, and how I could go home while knowing she was safe, and I just wanted to say goodbye one last time before saying goodbye forever. I finishes off the story by telling them- all of them- how sorry I was for getting them into this mess, and how I truly loved this experience, but I still had a family back in London and I need to be back with them.

I sighed and smiled. "So, yeah."

The Lost Boys' reactions were unsettling. Slightly, Nibs, and Tootles (who had woken up just in time) stared at me with similar expressions of open-mouthed disbelief. The twins looked at each other with eyes that seemed to be having a conversation. Peter had no expression in his face, but his eyes seemed to shoot daggers into me. Curly had a dumb-looking smirk with an "I-Told-You-So" aura around himself, but at the same time, he tried to kill me with his eyes, too. And Jillian- oh, man. Her reaction was the worst.

She glared at me furiously, jaw set, fists clenched behind her back. She looked like she was about to tear into me with her teeth. I scooted back slightly. It was really scary, but at the same time, I knew I deserved it.

"Oh, dude, you are so going to get it," Curly laughed maliciously, seeing Jillian's expression. The other Lost Boys looked towards her as well, and tensed, as if preparing for something good. I looked back over at the girl who once had been a possibility for everything, who now looked as if she wanted to kill me. She smiled (although it was more like baring her teeth) and said three words that told me I should have stuck with lying:

"Sic 'em, boys!"

A wave of undescribable terror hit me- and then the boys came.

* * *

><p>Alone in his chamber, Hook sat back in his chair and examined the papers before him. His whole plan was detailed, as he always had it, but Nicholas's persistance to say goodbye to his little girlfriend had messed it up slightly. "No matter," he muttered to himself. "A small price to pay for her doom."<p>

He traced the writings of a week ago, when he had first brought the Darling boy here. Get the girl to trust the boy, lure her here, then kill her. All part of the plan. What wasn't part of the plan, though, was that the boy seemed to be smitten with her. Oh, he thought Hook didn't notice, he thought he could hide it, he thought he was very clever with passing it off as nothing. But Hook knew better. Although he hadn't experienced it in over 70 years, he knew love when he saw it. When teenage boys fall, they fall hard, and the young girls go right along side them. It was only a matter of time before he would realize the full extent of Hook's plan- and by then it would be too late to save her. How terribly marvelous.

Ah, yes, his Darling was a good boy, very nice, well-mannered, but so oblivious to Hook's plan! _Wouldn't it be so obvious by now? He's clearly not the sharpest hook in the drawer,_ thought Hook with a sadistic smile. _But no matter, no matter. He will see it soon enough._

_There's no stopping it now._

A flustered knock on the door interrupted Hook's thoughts, followed by the appearance of his port-bellied first mate."C-C-Cap'n," he stuttered, tripping over himself to get closer to Hook.

"Y-Y-Yes?" Hook responded, mimicing his pathetic cohort. "Smee, I must admit, I'm dissapointed in you. I was just having a lovely time looking over my plan when you so rudely interrupted me. Honestly, I thought I could expect more..."

"S-Sorry, Cap'n, but I felt I should tell you..."

Hook rolled his eyes. "What now?"

"I believe the Lost Boys are trying to kill the Darling."

* * *

><p><em>Jillian's POV<em>

"GET HIM!"

"Traitor!"

"Liar!"

"Snitch!"

"DARLING!"

The boys threw themselves onto Nick and beat him using everything they could besides their hands. They bit him, kicked him, head-butted him, even elbowed him while forming a huge dogpile on top of him. I sat back and stared at the floor, glaring, hoping to burn holes in it. _How could he? How could he do this to us? To me?_

He was getting what he deserved.

Peter scooted over next to me. "Are you okay?" he asked in a low voice. I sniffled, holding back tears.

"I can't believe he did that to us," I answered. "I just can't believe it."

"I know," he said. "I'm sorry."

I shrugged, offering a small smile as thanks. "Too bad sorry doesn't take it back," I mumbled sadly. He chuckled.

"Yeah."

Suddenly, the door slammed open with a BANG that froze the boys in place. Two nasty looking pirates barged in, one tall and muscular, with a handle bar mustache and shoulder-length hair, and the other short and lithe with no hair at all. "Alright," the tall one said with a smirk. "Playtime's over. Time for the Darling to go back to work!" He moved to the center of the room and picked up the traitor by both his arms, hoisting him up into the air. The other boys glared knives into his retreating form. He was smart enough not to look back.

The short one loomed over me as best he could. "You're coming too, Princess," he growled. "Get up."

Peter moved in a fluid motion to get in front of me. "She's not going anywhere!" he insisted heroicly. Shorty laughed, spitting in Peter's face, and then proceeded to punch him in the stomach. He winced and clutched his stomach, seeming on the edge of throwing up. The pirate shoved him out of the way with his boot and reached towards me with a grimy hand. Although it was unappetizing, I did the only thing I could do.

I bit down on his hand as hard as I could.

He screamed a list of profanities at me and tried to hit my head, but a brave Lost Boy (I'm pretty sure it was Curly) jumped on his back and began hitting his head against the opponent's spine. The other Lost Boys followed suit until the pirate was down, and even then they continued to kick him.

"Guys! Stop!" I screamed. "That's enough!"

Tootles stood up, brushed himself off, and, looking at his freed hands, said (rather absentmindedly), "Oh. You guys probably want to be untied, huh?"

"Quick, quick, untie us!" exclaimed the twins. Tootles rushed over to them and freed their hands, and they all took turns loosening our bonds as well. I bent over Peter once I was good to go and untied his as well.

"Are you alright?" I asked him.

"Yeah. Fine," he groaned. He clearly wasn't fine.

"Curly! Help me stand Peter up," I called. "We need to get out of here!" Curly, once freed as well, helped me hoist Peter to a standing position. "The door's open, we have our chance, let's GO!"

We rushed out the door as one colossal unit and ran down the corridor, Nibs and Slightly leading the pack. We rushed around the corner and-

Nibs and Slightly tried to turn around, bumping into the twins, who tried to avoid falling over but just ended up tripping me, and I fell as well, followed by Peter and Curly, who, in an attempt to stay standing, threw out an arm, which hit Tootles. In the course of five seconds, we lay sprawled on the ground on top of each other with five eerily smiling pirates above us.

"Time to go," one of them told me, and two pulled me up to a standing position and began to carry me away. After a moment of frozen shock, I began to scream and kick, but it was no use. I began to cry as my brothers got further and further away, bravely fighting the three remaining pirates. Peter was laying against a wall, hunched over in pain, and a sixth pirate emerged and knocked him out. Curly was looking around frantically for me, but when his eyes met mine and he tried to run to catch me, one of the pirates held him back. Slightly, Nibs, Tootles, and the twins fought the last two. I didn't get to see what came of this battle because we turned the corner and went up the stairs to the deck.

One pirate shoved me up against the mast as the other looped a rope around me, securing me in place. I cussed as loud and hard as I could, but they just laughed in my face. "Shut up, girl!" one exclaimed, cuffing me across the cheek. I bit my lip in pain and said no more.

They left me alone against the mast, chuckling and elbowing each other as they descended the stairs. It was then that I finally let the tears go for good. They cascaded down my cheeks, filling my mouth and wetting my shirt. The aching sobs were almost not enough to express the pain I felt. The boy I thought might be for real was a liar and a traitor. My brothers were as good as dead. My leader, brought down to his knees.

Once my tears were done, I looked up into the heavens and cursed at the world, at the pirates, but especially at Nicholas Darling. Wherever he was, I hoped he could even feel half of what I was feeling.

For all I cared at that moment, he could die.

* * *

><p><em>Nick's POV<em>

"You let her get into your head, Nicholas. You let her worm her way into your feelings. Ah, dangerous, they women are. Better to just leave them to die. Nicholas, are you even paying attention?"

I snapped to attention. "Sorry, sir. Yeah. I was paying attention."

"Then I will continue."

"Of course."

In Hook's cabin, my words were not my own. They were his words, placed into my mouth by the prospect of being able to go home and see my family. But I didn't want that anymore. Why couldn't I say that? Why couldn't I just tell the truth: I wasn't going to leave without making sure my Lost Girl was safe? Why did I go along with this? WHY?

_Because,_ a little voice in my head told me, _for all she cared right now, you could die. Do you realize how you betrayed her? Do you realize how much you hurt her?_

"Yes," I said aloud. It seemed to have been the right answer to Hook's question, for he relaxed back in his chair agian and continued to ramble. The little voice drowned him out.

_I don't think you do,_ it spat maliciously. _I don't think you completely understand what you did to her. She trusted you. She LIKED you. And you gave it up to go back to your stupid home. Don't you see? THIS could have been your home! You could have just stayed here! Because you were only thinking of yourself, that's why, you selfish coward. _

"No," I defended. This was also satisfactory with whatever Hook said, although he didn't seem to realize yet that I wasn't talking to him.

_Liar. You're a liar. A liar, a coward, a selfish beast who cares for nothing but himself. Nothing and no one. How could you do this to me?_ the voice asked. I was hit with a pang of realization and a wave of sadness when I realized it was her voice now, calling me these names, telling me these terrible truths.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, quite alright, my boy," Hook chuckled. "You've had a hard day. I'll just take you home tomorrow morning, and everything will be alright."

The voice was silent now.

"What about Ji- the Lost Boys?" I corrected. "What will become of them?"

He laughed again, showing off his vile teeth and hitting me with a whiff of his fishy breath. "They are going to die, of course! Silly boy!"

I jumped up. "Die?"

"Yes, die. Awful pains in my side these last yea-"

"What about her?"

Silence.

"WHAT ABOUT HER?" I screamed, getting right in his face. "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HER?"

His eyes, normally icy cold, burned blood red for the faintest of seconds. He stood up as well, and I shrunk back, forced to cower in the shadow of this impossible man. "Calm down, Nicholas," he said in a cool voice that chilled my bones. He chuckled and traced his hook down the side of my face slowly. One sudden movement could have sent in straight through my jaw. "We wouldn't want you to lose your head over this."

I nodded slowly, driven more by fear than anything else.

He put a strong hand on my shoulder and forced me back down into my seat, leaning forward to be eye to eye with me in the process. "I promised that as long as you were on his island, I would not hurt her, yes? Don't you trust me?"

_NO!_ I screamed in my head. "Yes," I whimpered aloud.

"Good."

He was gone with a whirl of his red-velvet coat, leaving me to stew in my thoughts and tears. Wherever Jillian was right now, I knew she was cursing my name. She was right. How could I have been so stupid?

The door locked and the lamp blew out. For the first time since I brought the Lost Boys to their doom, I was completely alone.

**So, this chapter was pretty much just to get my writer's block out. What do you think? Read and review please :)**


	13. Note from the Author

Hey, readers, it's me, back from the dead. I am very sorry for the looooong delay. Unfortunately, I don't even have a good excuse for the absence. All I can do is offer you apologies, and an idea: I would like to start this whole story over from scratch, chapter by chapter. I won't upload it until it is completely finished up to the current point, and when that happens, you'll start getting updates again. As it is, I would really like for you to subscribe if you're new to this story and keep bearing with me if you're old, because I promise it is only going to get more interesting. New character developments- past suggestions will be taken into play! New scenes- including the removal of some terrible scenes. Better grammar and spelling- again, thank you, past readers, for your comments! I originally wrote this story when I was 12, almost 13. Now, nearly two years later, it will go through a transformation similar to my own these past two years.  
>Stay tuned, readers. It only goes up from here.<p>

~Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

NerdiGirl


	14. Note From The Author II: Here We Go!

Hey, readers, this is a heads up that the reboot of The Lost Girl will be sometime this month! I will be replacing chapters as I go, but will be leaving all chapters that I haven't gotten to intact, so none of the reviews will be messed up. There will be love! There will be adventure! There will be three new Lost Boys, more time with the Darlings, mermaids, and Indians, more diabolical schemes from the pirates- well, as Jillian would say, more _more. _Again, thanks to all the faithful people who have waited so long for the story of a 12-year-old, and welcome to all the people who are new to the story written by a reformed, edited, exponentially grown high school student. 2014 is going to be _the _year.

It only goes up from here.


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